Weekend in Skopje

Day 1

Morning/Early Afternoon

Everything in Skopje is within walking distance so I strongly recommend that you put on comfortable walking shoes and sign for the Skopje Free Tour that departs from the Invictus statue in the city centre at 12:00. This tour is conducted by Sashko which delivery a quality and informed tour over the main attractions throughout 3 hours - strongly recommended.

On the tour you will have the opportunity to pass through:

Macedonia Square with the Alexander The Great

Mother Teresa Memorial House and Statue

The old train station destroyed during the earthquake of 1963 (the clock stopped at 5:17am and it remains as such). Near the station you will find plenty of examples from Kenzo Tange architecture (famous for drawing the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and a number of buildings in Tokyo) as part of the city was reconstructed based on his contributions.

Church of St. Clement of Ohrid

The Stone Bridge and the river banks with the new government buildings and opera house

The Old Bazaar - the largest Bazaar in the Balkans outside Istanbul (Wikipedia)

Mustafa Pasha Mosque

Skopje Fortress Kale

For lunch (and depending if you decide to join the tour or not) I strongly recommend the following local restaurant in the city centre - Stara Kuka

Afternoon

Skopje is surrounded by mountains being one of them the Mountain of Vodno.
The views from the top are recommended and near by you will find the Millennium Cross - which is the largest Christian cross in the world.

In order to get there either get a taxi to the cable car that will take you to the top or catch the Millennium Cross bus that passes every 20 minutes in front of the Mother Teresa memorial.

Dinner

Skopski Merak - terrific local restaurant outside the main tourist areas. If you are lucky you might find a day with live local music which was a must among the locals.

Evening

Skopje has a modest but interesting night life scene. Near the Stone Bridge river bank you will find a number of pleasant bars. In the Old Bazaar you also find a number of bars from which I recommend one in front of the Holy Savior Church entrance.

If you fancy a night club to finish the night, these ones are not to be overlooked: Club 69 and Club Colosseum

Day 2

Get a taxi and go to Lake Matka - it should take you no longer that 15-30 minutes to get there and 10 - 20 Euro would be more than enough! This is an amazing canyon well worth the visit. The car will drop you near by the Matka Dam, from there it is a short walk to the St. Andrew's Monastery. Have a look to the amazing frescoes and stop by in the restaurant next door for a quick meal or lunch.

At this point, you either take a walk from here up to 6 kms along the Treska river or rent a kayak (I took this last one and the views from the middle of the river were just amazing). Is is also possible to rent a boat trip up the river to visit the Vrelo Cave regarded as the deepest in the world (400 dinars will take you there).

Lake Matka is a must to everyone that visits Skopje.

Lisbon - 3 Days Tour

Day 1

Morning

Depending where you will be based I recommend a walking tour from Avenida da Liberdade until Lisbon Baixa Pombalina, which was totally reconstructed after the 1755 earthquak: Proposed Path

On the way you will pass by the Liberty Avenue in the direction to the historical Rossio, Chiado, Baixa Pombalina and Praca do Comercio (also known as Terreiro do Paco). This is the historical downtown and you will find plenty of historical and classic architecture. Make sure you visit on the way the Santa Justa Lift and the Quartel do Carmo on top (if you use the lift – which is recommended as the view over the city hills is rewarding), where the 1974 revolution had one of its high points.

Pass by the historical 19 century cafes (however, I don’t recommend that you have coffee here as these are expensive places now focussed on the tourists – nevertheless the interiors are worth a look): Cafe Nicola

After lunch, go to Cais do Sodre, catch a train in direction to the Belem monumental complex. On the way you will pass by the 25th April Bridge (a small twin of the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge as it was projected by the same architect).

Afternoon

Make sure you visit the following places (all of them close to each other in Belem district):

Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (UNESCO World Heritage) – gothic monastery build on the Age of Discoveries do celebrate the discovery of India.This is a very symbolic and monumental place where Vasco da Gama (and many other navigators) is buried.

Torre de Belem – one (if not the most) recognizable monument in Portugal.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos – impresive scrultures that celebrate the Age of Discoveries (with Henry the Navigator on the front).

It is imperative to stop by the Casa de Pasteis de Belem and get Pasteis de Belem – it is easy to find, just follow the crowd at the entrance.

Dinner

Cafe de Sao Bento - terrific steaks in front of the Parliament

Cervejaria Ramiro - great place for seafood

Evening

If you are still alive, and fancy a good night out, make sure you visit Bairro Alto area (specially on a Friday or Saturday night) in the downtown. This place has plenty of bars and Fado houses to visit (however, I won’t recommend to have a Fado night here as Alfama has better places (check next day)).

If you fancy a nice club, have a look to the Lux (dress code applied and sometimes the entrance is very restrict). Here is some additional suggestions for a few spots.

Day 2

Morning

I recommend that you go to the site were Expo 98 was made (now called Park das Nacoes in the Eastern side of the city) for a morning walk.

Here you will still be able to see some of the sites from Expo 98, get a great view over Vasco da Gama bridge (the longest in Europe and one of the longest in the World) and if you are up to it, a visit to Oceanarium (the biggest in Europe and one of the biggest in the world as well). You will find plenty of places for a quick lunch.

Afternoon

Go back to downtown and catch the traditional tram 5 near Rua Augusta in the direction to Sao Jorge Castle. The ride is great but  beware the pickpockets. Castelo Sao Jorge and Alfama area will fill the rest of your afternoon.

This part of the town is the most ancient one as it goes back to the Muslim times.

Take the opportunity to stroll around the small streets up and down the hill. Nearby you can find Panteao were important nation figures are buried and the Fado museum. Visit the castle, specially near the sunset as the views are incredible or sit next to one of the nearby viewpoints (e.g. Miradouro Das Portas do Sol), relax and have a drink.

Lunch/Dinner

Restaurante Ti Natercia

If you fancy to experience a Fado night (Portuguese traditional music) in a very traditional (out of the beaten path) place, check this one: Belas, Vinhos e Petiscos

If you are looking for something more on the beaten path(but good) then: Sr Fado

Outside of Lisbon (Day Trip)

Sintra (UNESCO World Heritage)

It is highly recommended to take a day trip to Sintra and take a look to the following spots:

Pena National Palace

This place is a must see for everyone that comes to Portugal. The views from the top of the hill are breath-taking.

In a clear day it is possible to see until Lisbon. It is also well worth it to visit the palace inside and the gardens.

The best way to get to the top is through a bus that departs from the centre of Sintra. However, if you are up for a walk it won’t take you more than 30m and you can pass by a number of mall palaces on the way up.

Quinta da Regaleira

This is a very mystic place that is worth a visit. You will find lots of fun on the gardens with secret passages, tunnels, mystic elements and so on…

Sintra National Palace

If after the two visits above you are still have energy, the National Palace in the centre of Sintra is a very interesting place to visit. In this palace major military decisions were taken (such as invading the North of Africa in the Age of Discovery).

If you prefer to relax a bit, in front of the palace you will find a stairway where you can enjoy Queijadas from Piriquita (on the other side of the road – check bellow).

Queijadas

Make sure you don’t leave the town without trying one of its major specialities: the Queijadas pastry.
The Piriquita place is the best one in the centre to taste them.