ON TOUR: On Tour to Skopje
NEW England coach Steve McClaren faces his biggest test with a tricky tie away to Macedonia on Wednesday as his team continue their European Championship 2008 qualifiers. The venue is Skopje, a city of 600,000 at the heart of this relatively new republic in the Balkans.
ABTN thought it would give any readers set to travel with Terry”s boys (how strange not to be Beckham”s boys) to Macedonia for the 6 September tie a heads-up on the city.
The Republic of Macedonia borders Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. It”s full name is the snappy Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), as neighboring Greece continues to dispute the name as more than half of the region of Macedonia is in its territory.
The country has been independent of the old Yugoslavia for 15 years, but Skopje”s heritage reflects 2,500 years of Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Soviet architecture and culture. It rests on the river Vardar and boasts modern hotels and infrastructure alongside its ancient heritage.
Highlights for football fans with a bit of time on their hands include the Stone Bridge (left), Skopje”s symbol. It was built in the 15th century and connects the old and new city. The 6th century Kale castle dominates the left bank of the Vardar to give excellent views over Skopje. Other points of interest include the Museum of Macedonia, the Ottoman old bazaar of Carsija with numerous shops, and Mustapha-Pasha Mosque, built in 1492, and the Cathedral of St Clement of Ohrid (below).
The main restaurants and bars are along the River Vardar and near the city”s main square, but some gems are found down various side streets. Local delicacies include very strong Turkish coffee and strong brandies, while the food has Mediterranean and Ottoman influences. Naturally, there are western bars and cafes for the unadventurous.
There are several five-star properties and many cheaper ones in the city and along the river. The main hotel is the luxurious Aleksandar Palace Skopje on the Vardar and next to a park, but if your wallet is not up to that check out the other choices.
The match against England will be at the Skopje City Stadium, the home of Macedonian champions FK Rabotnicki and FK Vardar. The stadium holds 18,104 people, many of whom should be England fans.
Macedonia have started their campaign well with a 1-0 win over Estonia and will take some heart from the fact that they have drawn with England before and narrowly lost 2-1. They are though ranked 67th in the world according to FIFA and should present, on paper at least, little difficulty for the World Cup quarter-finalists.
Flying to Skopje does present some challenges and there are no direct services from the UK. Instead you will have to go via Europe”s major hubs with incumbent airlines like Lufthansa, Alitalia, Swiss or Austrian Airlines. Alternatively, blag your way on to the England charter aircraft!
http://www.skopjetourism.org
http://www.exploringmacedonia.com,
http://www.thefa.com