NorthMacedonia
North Macedonia asked more of us than we expected.
The mountains were tough. The days demanding.
Finding a place to sleep became its own kind of adventure.
We were invited into a student residence—brand new, still unfinished.
And then there was the Ohrid lake.
Quiet, clear, and full of the country’s beauty.
We crossed the border easily –
but the weather changed fast.
On our way to Skopje,
we rode through mountains, heavy rain, and thick fog.
In the capital, we were chased by dogs,
tried to explore the birthplace of Mother Teresa by bike,
but didn’t stay long.
We were just passing through –
curious, but not ready to pause.
We headed west,
into the mountain regions.
Wind. Cold. Rain.
And one of the hardest places so far to find a place to camp.
We searched and struggled.
Luck wasn’t on our side.
Later, we turned southwest –
a long, steep climb into the mountains
brought us to Lake Ohrid.
A volcanic lake.
One of the oldest in Europe.
And absolutely stunning.
We only stayed a few days in North Macedonia,
but the people were kind,
the food was a highlight,
and the journey –
worth every drop of rain.
🚲 Travel Mode
Bicycle
📅 Date From: November 2023
📅 Date To: November 2023
📍 Points of Interest
🏛️ Skopje – A city we didn’t spend enough time in. Impressive, diverse, and full of history waiting to be explored.
🏞️ Kicevo – Not the most charming town itself, but surrounded by beautiful nature. After a long and frustrating search for a place to sleep, we were invited into a brand-new student residence by kind locals – an unexpected gift.
🌋 Lake Ohrid – One of the oldest lakes in Europe, formed by a volcano. A peaceful holiday spot, not easy to reach by bike – but the calm and scenery were worth every effort.
✍️ Experience Snippet
It was already dark.
We sat in a small restaurant,
cold, tired, and without a place to sleep.
There were no hotels we could afford.
So we asked the staff –
with hands, smiles, and broken words.
Someone made a call.
“Wait a few minutes,” they said.
We were about to leave
when a man pulled up in his car.
He offered us a place to stay.
Just like that – across the counter, into the unknown.
We were tired and unsure.
But he told us to come take a look.
We left our bikes at the restaurant
and got in.
What he showed us felt unreal:
a student residence he had just built.
Not yet opened.
Brand-new beds.
Warm rooms.
Clean sheets.
A quiet night.
A gift we never expected.
👉 Want to see the full route?
Check out the route below.
🗺️ Route Legend
🔴 Red – Bicycle
🔵 Blue – Ferry
🟣 Purple – Hitchhiking
🟡 Yellow – Bus / Taxi
🟢 Green – Train
⚫ Black – Airplane
⚪ White – Planned Route
