If looking for a destination that is somewhat untouched, Macedonia would be a worthy option to consider. A multifaceted nation, both in terms of history and geography, the country is slowly emerging from of its communist past. Skopje is the capital and largest city of Macedonia, and the other cities worth visiting are Bitola, Ohrid and Gostivar. Macedonians love city life, but the country’s vast and varied wilderness is perhaps its main draw and should delight folks with a penchant for outdoorsy activities such as hiking, mountain climbing and skiing. Of particular note, the Mavrovo National Park in Western Macedonia serves up skiing of some calibre and the alpine views to be had are positively stunning, as are the ancient ruins that also form part of the national park.

Getting there
Several airlines operate flights to Macedonia, including British Airways and Croatia airways.

Getting around
The public transport system of Macedonia is adequate and encompasses domestic and international airports, and road and rail networks that link major cities and towns of the country. Trains in Macedonia are operated by Macedonian Railways, and many leading car hire companies also operate in Macedonia.

Language: Macedonian is the most widely used language. Albanian, Turkish and Serbo-Croat are also used by ethnic groups.

Time: UTC/GMT +1 hour

Climate: On the whole, the climate is primarily continental, with very cold, damp winters and dry, subtropical summers when temperature can reach 40°C or higher.

Tipping: Tipping is expected in Macedonia, and 5 to 10 percent is considered the norm.

Duty free: One box of cigarettes, one bottle of alcohol, and gifts to the value of €30.70 may be imported into Macedonia without incurring customs duty.

Safety: Some parts of Macedonia are somewhat crime-ridden, such as the northwest area bordering Kosovo, where pick pocketing and credit card fraud do occur.

Currency: Macedonian Denar

Laws: Flags of foreign countries cannot be flown from public buildings except on certain public and religious holidays when they may be flown alongside the Macedonian flag.

Healthcare: The healthcare in Macedonia is adequate and foreign residents do not pay for health services if their native country has signed the Health Insurance Convention with Macedonia, in which case a form of proof needs to be produced.

Socket type: Type C