Skopje, 15 April 2025 (MIA) - In a roundup of travel stories, American media outlet CNN mentions North Macedonia as a European tourist destination, and one of the many underexplored destinations in favor of popular tourist hotspots. According to the latest CNN Travel, North Macedonia is a "dramatically mountainous destination", with a landscape of lush green slopes and snow-topped crags, sunny climate and diverse cuisine with a variety of traditional food. 

CNN notes that most visitors to Europe focus their trips on France, Spain and Italy, but there are an impressive 44 UN-recognized countries in the continent to explore.

"For example, North Macedonia, a dramatically mountainous destination directly north of Greece, is worthy of more tourist attention. There’s its landscape of lush green slopes and snow-topped crags and its deliciously diverse cuisine, with the array of dishes on a table changing from one valley to the next. It’s blessed with a sunny climate too, which helps make the vegetables fat and juicy and its vineyards’ wines robust and plentiful," says CNN. 

According to the media outlet, the country stands out as a destination that offers a similar experience, but lack the crowds, long queues and high prices.

The article points out that the sunny climate boosts the quality of local produce - vegetables are juicy and fat, while the wines from local vineyards are recognizable by their robust flavor. It is the multi-layered experience that makes the country attractive to travelers in search of authenticity. 

The article spotlights Lake Ohrid and the church St. John at Kaneo, which are portrayed as one of the most striking symbols of the region.

In addition to Ohrid, the article also highlights Skopje's Old Bazaar, the Matka Canyon, churches, monasteries, as well as wine regions and stunning national parks, which offer diverse experiences in a small geographical area.

"Much of what can be seen in North Macedonia lies along the sides of the small, winding roads that carve their way through the countryside along valley floors. These routes are studded with immaculately preserved Byzantine monasteries, some more than 1,000 years old, replete with ornate woodworking inlaid with mother of pearl, gold-plated chandeliers and ancient frescoes. Among the best known is Bigorski Monastery, where an affordable guest house welcomes weary trekkers from nearby Mavrovo National Park. There, the brilliant ruby and topaz treetops on a meandering October drive can put any New England postcard to shame," the article reads. 

It adds that Sveti Naum, which has stood at the edge of Lake Ohrid since the year 905, is another well-known — and well worth visiting — monastery, and Lake Ohrid, whose glittering waters are located south of Mavrovo on the Albanian border, is North Macedonia’s crown jewel.

"A UNESCO World Heritage site ringed by mountains, the Lake Ohrid area pulls in visitors from across the Balkans every summer. Some come for ecotourism. The spring-fed lake boasts around 1,200 species of plants and animals. Others come for a more traditional tourist experience: shopping for freshwater pearls along the bazaar street in the historic town of Ohrid on the lake’s northeastern shore, or sipping on spritz cocktails at beach bars tucked along the shoreline. Another stunning national park, Galicica, hugs the eastern shore with spectacular Lake Prespa just southeast of that park," CNN says. 

Photo: Print screen and MIA archive