*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for, while working on my Major City Project.
Skopje
Overview:
Skopje is the capital of North Macedonia and one of the largest cities in the Balkans. I love this region for its character-filled, quirky and enjoyable atmosphere. Skopje is a great representation of what I enjoy about the Balkans for street photography too. It’s easy to get to know, walk-friendly and while it not overly active compared to most capitals, it’s filled with unique interest. Statues everywhere, ancient history, and a slightly surreal, yet fun vibe provide a city I’d recommend to anyone for street photography. It might feel a little remote, but that’s part of its charm and keeps it from being overly photographed. Plus, it has Shutka, the only majority Roma city in the world, making it worth a visit with your camera by itself.
So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Skopje has to offer before you arrive.
Map:
- Old Bazaar/market
- Macedonia Square
- Shutka
- Zelen Pazar (Green Bazaar)
- Northern neighborhoods
Bonus: Debar Maalo / City Park
Top 6 Street Spots:
1. Old Bazaar/market
The Old Bazaar is the largest bazaar in the Balkans outside Istanbul. It feels as much like a full neighborhood as it does a bazaar, though. More than just shops, you can also find restaurants, art galleries, museums, mosques, and more here. It’s the heart of commercial and social life in the city, as it has been for many centuries. It’s filled with Ottoman architecture, with some Byzantine architecture left mixed in. And while all the interest here makes it the main attraction for tourists, it still manages to keep its authenticity. Skopje isn’t overcrowded with tourism yet and you’ll still find plenty of local life. The cobblestone streets provide a good amount of area to explore too, while its location is perfectly in the middle of everything. I usually make at least one walk through the Old Bazaar every day, even if it isn’t my destination, and each time it’s enjoyable.
2. Macedonia Square
Macedonia Square is the main square of Skopje, and the largest in the country. Just across the river from the Old Bazaar, this wide open square is always lively. It’s dominated by the gigantic “Warrior on a Horse” statue of Alexander the Great, but below, the elaborate fountain of water jets attract the most attention. Its constant display of timed jets provide entertainment for locals, visitors and even dogs, who all like to run through it when its hot out. While Skopje isn’t the only city to have a water fountain like this, it is one of the more elaborate and active I’ve seen. It’s usually worth a stop with your camera to find some interest.
Many pedestrian streets lead here, including the famous Stone Bridge, and you’ll find plenty of shopping and restaurants nearby. The square is more impressive than most, while having a more modern look compared to the rest of the city, as recent city projects have built the City Shopping Centre and a number of modern business buildings surrounding the square. It’s also maybe the most tourist filled spot in the city, but its one to come for guaranteed activity and open light in the heart of the city.
3. Shutka
Šuto Orizari, often shortened to Sutka/Shutka, is a municipilaty of Skopje. After the 1963 earthquake destroyed their homes, the Roma population moved here, making it the only municipality in the country with a Roma majority, at 80%. It’s also the only place in the world to adopt Romani as an official language. Being the only place in the world where Roma are organised politically and economically, Shutka makes for a very interesting place to explore. Around 6 km from the center, I’ve walked to Shutka many times, shooting along the way and finishing the day up top here, before taking the bus back to the center at sunset. Gypsies have brought a lot of interest to photographers over the years, making their way into the work of many of the greats, including Josef Koudelka. The nomadic lifestyle, the colorful clothing, the interesting culture and more. Shutka doesn’t have the nomadic lifestyle, but it does have its own unique interest added into the mix. For one, there’s a wide mix of wealth here. Big mansions and luxury cars next to shanties and horse driven carriages. It’s an odd juxtaposition that you won’t see many places. Seeing how they form their own mini city provides a unique look at the blend of their culture into an organized town.
Of course, you still have the colorful clothing and vibrant culture you’d expect too. Many of the quirky houses are colorful too and the streets are always filled with life. During the week, the odds are pretty good you’ll get to see a gypsy wedding or two, also. Walking bands playing music with all the wedding party and friends behind is a fun sight to see. There’s a large square where many of them have after wedding celebration and dancing. The outfits and energy are hard to beat when it comes to weddings, just make sure you come during the week if you want to catch one, as they usually don’t have their weddings on the weekends like others.
Shutka’s fame had reached me years ago after watching a documentary on this one-of-a-kind Roma city so I’d always looked forward to checking out. Luckily, it didn’t disappoint. While the documentary makes everyone out to be a larger than life character, I wouldn’t expect anything quite that exotic or exciting, but for unique interest in Skopje, you’ll find plenty in Shutka. The main street provides much of the interest, but I enjoyed exploring the back streets too for a look at more of the neighborhood life.
4. Zelen Pazar (Green Bazaar)
While Bit Pazar in the Old Bazar has the city’s most popular green market, Zelen Pazar is my favorite. While only a short walk from the Macedonia Square, it feels further away in atmosphere and in how it’s slightly hidden. There’s a very local feeling and you won’t see tourists exploring this one like you will at the Bit Pazar. You might get some funny looks because of this, but that adds to the charm. You’ll find hundreds of stalls selling a variety of fresh produce at the cheapest prices in the city. While most is covered, you can find nice light leaking in at certain spots and a few areas that open up. It’s a fun, authentic market to discover with your camera.
5. Northern neighborhoods
Since I usually walk to Shutka instead of taking transportation, I walk through many of Skopje’s northern neighborhoods. The life and atmosphere up here has an older, very local feeling. It’s not like the south, which is trendier and more expensive to live, but also quieter during the day. It gives a real neighborhood feeling that probably hasn’t changed as much over time. The people are also friendly here and you’ll find more life outside compared to some of the quieter neighborhoods. There’s a few main commercial streets with shopping activity, but I enjoyed the winding side streets and parks more. My favorite was the section between Boulevard Nikola Karev and John Kennedy, but you can find interest continuing north to Shutka too. It’s not packed activity like the Bazaar and main square, but it provides a different, more local atmosphere with its fair share of activity in spots. And it’s off the beaten path, where tourists don’t go, which can be good for street photography too.
Bonus: Debar Maalo
Outside of the city center, you can find the neighborhood of Debar Maalo bring a noticeably different scene. While within walking distance, it can feel like a quiet suburb, but there’s a young energy found within. With a slightly hipster feeling, you’ll find some trendy cafes, bars and restaurants, making a popular nightlife spot too. During the day, you probably won’t be surrounded with activity, but you can find interest and it provides a change of scenery from the rest of Skopje. Nearby, you can also explore the gigantic City Park.
Sample Street Walk:
For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Skopje:
- Start your morning exploring the Old Bazaar (1), up to Bit Pazar and then back down to the Stone Bridge
- Cross the bridge to Macedonia Square (2) and spend some time around here for more street photography
- Walk southeast to Zelen Pazar (4) for some local market activity
- From here, you can go to Debar Maalo for a more quiet street walk or go back to the Old Bazar for more exploring
- Finish your day at Macedonia Square (2) and southeast along the Vardar River walk
3 Things I’ll Remember Most about Skopje:
Back in time in a Balkan City
Skopje is a major city in the Balkans that takes you back in time to a different atmosphere. Around Macedonia Square and some of the south, it feels more modern, but outside these parts you can get an interesting feel for the city. Not just around the castle walls and bazaar, but the rest of the city has this dry, older scenery that feels less touched by change. There’s a ton of history here since the days of Alexander the Great, but North Macedonia doesn’t grab the touristic attention that other ancient places do. This leaves it feeling less polished and more natural. Some streets are more quiet, but all over there’s little quirks to discover. You’ll see statues all over the city, from larger squares to random little spots. Even the built-up area around Macedonia Square has taken on this atmosphere in its own way, with gigantic statues and buildings looking down upon you. While exploring most of Skopje, it could be many years in the past and you wouldn’t know the difference. It’s old, quirky balkan charm mixed with a little neglect makes for an interesting and relaxing city to walk with your camera.
2. Shutka
Shutka is definitely the area I’ll remember most about Skopje when it comes to uniqueness. Documentaries have been made about this one-of-a-kind “gypsy city” and it doesn’t disappoint, especially after some exploration. From the daily weddings in the streets to the juxtaposition of wealth among the locals, all with a Roma cultural twist, it makes photography walks you won’t experience anywhere else.
3. Easy Walking
Skopje is one easy, relaxing city to walk. It’s not too big and you feel like you can walk anywhere. I love walk friendly cities because I’d much rather explore on foot all day then spend time in transportation. Not only does walking provide you more photo opportunities, but it connects you with city more. Skopje might not be full of attractions, but it’s made for easy walking and experiencing more than enough interest and quirks on foot to make up for it.
3 Non-Street Photography Things To Do in Skopje:
- Eat: Tavče gravče, Burek and Pastrmajlija
- Drink: Rakija, wine and tea
- Visit: Museum of Macedonia
Street Safety Score: 9
*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!
Skopje is about as safe feeling as it gets for a capital city. Statistics back this up, but in general I feel like I can walk any neighborhood here without feeling danger (and I pretty much have). There’s a slightly quirky, but calming atmosphere walking the streets. While it is one of the smaller major cities I’ve explored, it’s also one of the safest feeling in my experience.
People’s Reaction Score: 7
People are mostly friendly towards street photography in Skopje. Around some markets, you might get some “no’s,” but in general, I don’t receive much push back when shooting here. It’s not the most visited city, though, so outside of the Old Bazar and main attractions, people don’t see many photographers. With this can come some wonderment/suspicion with what you’re doing, but I find being friendly is all it takes to get by when exploring this city with my camera.
Street Tips:
A good city to just walk around and find interest in random places
Outside of the main square and old bazaar, you’re not going to find too many places that visitors venture. There’s definitely more to discover, though, and luckily Skopje’s size makes it easy to do. I’m able to walk this main area almost every day, multiple times, while also exploring the rest of the city on foot. Much of the time, you’ll find interest in random places and rarely get bored, even if it’s not a crowded city. Many of the different neighborhoods can be interesting and while a place like Shutka looks far out of the city, it’s really only 7km from the center, which makes everything else feel especially close. If you’re tired of the bazaar and main square, I’d just keep walking and see what you can find. Skopje is a quirky city, so there’s bound to be something random found, while not being too far away from getting back home.
You don’t need a ton of time to get a feel for the city
While it’s the largest city in Macedonia and one of the largest in the Balkans, Skopje really isn’t that big of a city at just over half a million people. I’ve walked most of it many times over, including the individual neighborhoods. This can be a good thing, though, as you get a feeling for the city more quickly. While Skopje is a unique city, it doesn’t feel too foreign after a couple days. You get to know the different areas, how they feel and where you like going, without feeling like you’re missing something new by going there again. Most visitors still only hang around one small area from Macedonia Square through the Old Bazaar, but if you’re willing to walk a little and explore, you should get a real feel for the city. It’s a city that’s doable on a visit, unlike some cities that would take months to get the same feel for. So, don’t be afraid to explore it all, especially the neighborhoods. It’s a welcoming city that feels like a community.
Inspiration:
For some more inspiration, you can look through some of the work done in Skopje by Magnum Photos photographers here. And as always, you can check out 33 of my photos taken in Skopje.
I hope this guide can help you go experience Skopje… So grab your camera and capture all that Skopje has to offer for Street Photography!
If you still have any questions about shooting in Skopje, feel free to comment below or email me!
(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)
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