Once the meeting point of diplomats and consuls coming to Macedonia from right across Europe, the well-to-do town of Bitola sits nestled amidst the peaks of the Nidze and Baba mountains. It’s a place where visitors can explore bubbling arabesque bazaars complete with rag tag stores and gypsy wagons, archaeological sites marked by the likes of Alexander the Great himself, and some of the most dramatic scenery Macedonia has to offer.  
History buffs looking to unravel the entwined threads of Ottoman, Greek and Macedon alike that run through the city’s districts would do well to ask their Bitola tourist guide about the various opulent mosques of the centre, the nearby ruins of 4th century Heraclea Lyncestis, or the sprawling exhibitions of the Bitola Museum. For nature lovers, there can be no substitute for the Pelister hills; dressed in firs and rocky peaks by summer, and draped in snow by winter.
Then there’s Bitola’s cooler side to enjoy, all centred on the fashionista strip of Shirok Sokak. Here, locals sip coffees and cold beers in the Macedonian sun, while families and Versace-touting fashion gurus alike wander the paved pedestrian route up and down, all day long.