Meet Vojislav, our super North Macedonia adventure guide who is most at home in the mountains and nature of his country, and has been hiking since he was 15 years old. He hails from the countryside near Skopje, and was a teacher and translator of Serbo-Croat and Macedonian for 11 years before realising he wanted to turn his hiking hobby into a profession!
Vojislav has been a licensed tour guide since 2021 working in German, English and other languages. Read on to get to know Vojislav and his home country a little more….
What was it like growing up in Skopje?
I grew up in the last years of Yugoslavia in a mixed family. I remember visiting relatives and friends everywhere: in Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Greece, in the mountains, by lakes and coast. There was a feeling of never-ending freedom; we all shared so much. In Skopje alone, we had so many languages and cultures and and religions mixed together. It was a very colourful and interesting society to grow up in. And of course, always there were mountains nearby. Macedonia was peaceful compared to what happened in the rest of the Balkans in the 1990s— we were lucky.
What inspired you to become a tour guide?
Because we are so diverse here and always had to learn about each other’s cultures, I was inspired to travel further around the world to discover even more cultures. This led to me living on boats, cycling through Europe and the Middle East. I lived in Germany for a bit, but eventually came back to teach. At a certain point I felt I could make a living out of my hobbies of cycling and hiking. Plus, there’s so much inspiration in Macedonia: the cultural historical heritage of my country, the weather, the food. I can draw so much enjoyment and fulfillment from it. If you can make a living out of your hobbies, there’s nothing better than that!
Where is your favourite place to hike in North Macedonia?
In every direction you look there are mountains, so there’s always places to hike. I love the Sharr (or Šar) mountains and Galica national park. But I especially love the route from Skopje to Ohrid, via Kruševo —one of the highest towns in the Balkans. This route runs from the top of the country to the bottom and is a multi-day challenge called the Macedonian Traverse (Prva Makedonska Transverzala).
The first segment goes from the countryside near Skopje to the Central Mountain Range, the second segment of the route links with trails leading to Kruševo, and the third segment from Kruševo to Ohrid descends toward the southwestern region, connecting to the mountain trails surrounding Ohrid, such as the Baba Mountain range and the Galicica National Park.
Is land-locked North Macedonia any good for wild swimming?
Our country is 85% mountains so you can imagine it also has many mountain lakes! We have the most famous of our national lakes in Ohrid and Prespa which have great beaches and famous rivieras. Mostly, I love to swim in smaller lakes up in the mountains.
When you are not hiking or guiding, what would you be doing?
Teaching! I love being with students and young people. They keep my mind fresh and I like keeping up to date with the zeitgeist: with contemporary music and art of the moment.
Tell us about the food in North Macedonia
You cannot even imagine how fresh everything is! We still don’t have organic labels in the supermarkets because you don’t need it— everything is naturally organic and healthy. In my opinion the best vegetables of Europe are in Macedonia. Sure, we eat alot of meat but you can easily be a vegetarian here and live off our tasty vegetables and fruits. These are the really delicious things that can “imprison you at the table.”
Our delicacies include dishes like Tavče Gravče: slow-baked white beans in a traditional earthenware pot. Usually you add onion, garlic, oil, dried red peppers, and smoked paprika, and it’s often served with sausages. I recommend Ajvar with some great sheep’s cheese from the Galicnik villages, wines from Tikves and of course, homemade bread.
What are some top tips for travelling sustainably in North Macedonia?
- Use plastic as little as possible so bring a reusable metal water bottle— this is also better for your health as you don’t get microplastics in your water.
- Please don’t park your car in the forest, meadow or someone’s garden just to avoid paying parking fees!
- Support small, local businesses by buying some of their products, which are almost always homemade, tasty and good quality – local cheese, juices, forest fruits, olive oil, honey, soaps, small wooden souvenirs, authentic woollen clothes, etc.
Want to meet more of our stellar Undiscovered Balkans team? We’ve also been speaking to Ben and Emma, our founders.
Next up: How to travel safely in the Balkans (include solo female tips). Sign up to our free monthly newsletter for a round up of travel inspiration and discounts.
Comments