Skopje

After our beer on the balcony, we went out exploring.  We used the map we were given and walked into town, passing typical housing near the area we lived...

A couple of streets over we started seeing buildings of amazing architecture...

Transport options...

Architecture gone mad...

Beautiful wide streets and gardens...

Majestic Statues...

The Kale Fortress, which was the first fortress built in 6th century AD on a land that was inhabited during the Neolithic and Bronze ages (roughly 4000 BC onwards). It was constructed with yellow limestone and travertine and along with fragments of Latin inscriptions, assert the idea that the material for the fortress originated from the Roman city of Skupi which was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 518.

The fortress is thought to have been built during the rule of Emperor Justinian I and constructed further during the 10th and 11th centuries over the remains of emperor Justinian's Byzantine fortress which may have been destroyed due to a number of wars and battles in the region, such as that of the uprising of the Bulgarian Empire against the Byzantine Empier under the rule of Peter Delvan. Not much is known about the Medieval fortress apart from a few documents which outline minor characteristics in the fortress' appearance.

The Vardar River...

Looking towards of Museum of Archaeology..  It began construction in 2009 and is expected to be formally opened in September, 2014. Although the building will primarily serve as a museum, it will also house the Constitutional Court and the National Archive of the Republic of Macedonia. It is situated on the eastern bank of the Vardar, across the river from Macedonia Square. The exterior of the museum is almost complete, as of June 2012, and is among the more monumental buildings of the project, with its  Greek Revival architecture. The ruling party, states the budget for the construction as 436,000,000 denars. 

 It wasn't finished when we were there in April, but the lights around it meant it was very beautiful...

The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Statehood and Independence − Museum of VMRO and Museum of the Victims of the Communist Regime exhibits the strive for an independent Macedonian nation from the Ottoman Empire and later Yugoslavia. It is divided into 16 departments and includes over 100 wax figures of historical individuals. The museum lies on the eastern bank of the Vardar River just northwest of the Museum of Archaeology, opposite Macedonia Square. Construction began in June 2008 and it formally opened on September 10, 2011. The total cost of the museum, which covers 2,500 m2 (26,909.8 ft2), was roughly 10 million euros.  

There was a function the night we were there, and we passed many wealthy cars and lots of security.

Macedonia Square is the main square of Skopje and the biggest in Macedonia. It is located in the central part of the city and it commonly serves as the site of cultural, political and other events. The most remarkable building is the Risticheva Palata. The square is currently under re-development and there are many new buildings around the square being constructed.

A View of the Archaeology Museum from the Macedonian Square...

Perhaps the main symbol of the Skopje 2014 project is the Warrior on a Horse statue and fountain in the centre of Macedonia Square. It is typically thought to depict Alexander the Great, though it is not officially named for him.  "Alexander" was officially completed on September 8, 2011 to commemorate 20 years of the independence of the Republic of Macedonia.

The bronze sculpture is 14.5 m (47.6 ft) tall and it sits on a cylindrical column, which itself is 10 m (32.8 ft) in height. The column consists of three large ivory sections, each separated by a thinner bronze ring. Each section contains reliefs. The column stands in a fountain. At the base of the column are 8 bronze soldiers, each 3 m (9.8 ft) tall. There are also 8 bronze lions, each 2.5 m (8.3 ft) tall, around the edges of the fountain pool, four of which act as part of the fountain, releasing water from their mouths. The fountain also plays music.

The total cost of the Warrior on a Horse monument is roughly 7.5 million euros!

It was an amazing fountain with music and colour, and we watched it for ages..

One of the main symbols of Skopje is Porta Macedonia, a triumphal arch  near Macedonia Square. The arch is meant to commemorate the long struggle for Macedonian independence. It is 21 m (68.9 ft) tall and contains 32 reliefs carved on the outside, depicting events from pre-history to the independence of the Republic of Macedonia. The inside of the arch consists of two levels, in which a souvenir shop and a gallery are located, and a rooftop observation deck. It formally opened to the public on Christmas Eve, January 6, 2012. The construction of Porta Macedonia is estimated at 4.5 million euros.

After walking around for a number of hours we found a supermarket and bought things for our dinner and breakfast/lunch the next day.  We tried to get the washing machine going, but no power was going through, so I ended up doing all the washing by hand and putting it to dry on the clothes horse.  It was all dry by morning.  My last shot of the day I took to show just how fast the Varda River flowed through the town...