Founded in the 4th century BC and one of Macedonia’s oldest cities, Bitola is a delightful mishmash of architectural styles, animated cafés and historical intrigue. Close to the border with northern Greece and a former home of none other than Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the country’s unofficial cultural capital sits on the eastern rim of the spectacular Pelister National Park and on a good day is barely two hours away from Skopje. Brimming with great hotels and restaurants and blessed with enough sights to require the services of the former, we’ve condensed our favourite bits of it into one bite-sized read so that you too can enjoy this still relatively undiscovered Balkan gem and tell your friends you visited before it was famous.
City Essentials