'''?tip''' is the largest city in Eastern Macedonia with about 52,000 people. It is an important educational, cultural, and economic center.

Understand

?tip is a very pleasant city that gets fewer tourists than the west, which makes the people nicer and more willing to help than the people in the western part of the country.

Smoking and drinking is allowed in all nightclubs and bars(kafana's) and ciggerettes and alcohol are sold to individuals the age of 18 and over.

If you are not a Macedonian citizen and staying in ?tip, it is enforced by law that you must check in the police station that you will be staying in the town.

Get In

Get Around

The best ways to get around are by foot or by taxi.

See

  • '''St. Bogorodica''' - this three aisle basilica, with beautiful icons and frescos, was made in 1836 by Andrej Damjanov. The impressive wood carved iconstatis and furnishings are the works of Nikola Damjanov. The church is home to an icon gallery and art objects.
  • '''The Bezisten''' (old Turkish market) - it is located the center of the city. It is built of stone, and was built in the 16th or 17th century. Today, it is being used as an art gallery.
  • '''Husa Medin-Pasha Mosque''' - this mosque was built in the 17th century on the remains of a church called St. Ilija. It is located on a hill on the left side of town. Husa Medin Pasha's grave is located right next to the mosque.
  • '''St. John the Baptist''' - The church is located on high boulders above the left shore of the River Otinja, near the southeastern town of Stip. Built in the year 1350, the church of St John is decorated with fresco paintings bequeathed by an unknown landowner named Ivanko. Unfortunately, due to damages to the church_fs roof, the main frescoes have suffered damage.
  • Do

  • '''Ke?ovica Spa''' - The temperature of the thermal mineral waters in the spa-resort reaches 620C, and the radioactivity reaches 42,82 moch units. The water is characteristic for its very favorable chemical composition: it contains sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and sodium oxide. The spa-water is believed to be curative of rheumatism, ankle and nervous system, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, etc.The unit for physio- therapy, included in the spa-resort, uses the most modern devices and treatment methods and possesses 110 beds. The main spa-resort possesses 40 beds while in the vicinity, there is also the hotel "Astibo" with 130 beds.
  • Buy

    Eat

    Drink

    There are dozens upon dozens of bistros/bars aka kafani all over the city, on every corner. They serve all types of alcohol at a cheap price and food with it as well.

    Sleep

  • '''Hotel Oaza''' - The finest hotel in ?tip and the only one in the center. Tel: 389-390-899
  • '''Astibo''' - Tel: 389-394-899
  • '''Garni''' - Tel: 389-390-690
  • '''Izgrev''' - Tel: 389-394-919
  • Learn

  • '''Goce Del?ev University''' - is one of four state universities in Macedonia. It was created in 2006, and commenced with its first class of students October 2007.
  • Get Out

  • '''Bargala''' - was a fortified Byzantine town constructed between the 4th and 6th centuries. Thanks to archaeological excavations, today we can see a basilica, trade quarters, a water tank, a bath, a forification system, with an impressive main gate, and an infrustructure.
  • '''Kale Fortress Isar''' - this fortress is located between Bregalnica and Otinja rivers. Exact records of the time of the construction of the fortress have not been found. Some of the high fortress walls have been preserved. During the middle ages, churches were built on all four sides of the fortress. In 1332, a church was built and dedicated to St. Archangel Michael. The second church, built in 1341, was dedicated to St. Nikola. A few years later, the third church has been preserved in its original form to this day. The last church, dedicated to St. Vasilie, was located on the north side of the fortress. It was built in 1337.
  • '''St. Holy Savior''' - is located on the left bank of the Otinja River. It was built in 1369 as the inheritance of the duke, Dimitar. Today, from the old frescos, remain only certain parts representing old prophets, several saints of the synod church, and the beautiful compositions Transfiguration and The Holy Indivisible Trinity.
  • Stay Safe

    When in nightclubs, avoid getting into trouble and if intoxicated avoid losing control. Alot of people tend to mind their own business in nightclubs and if you go around talking to everyone it might seem amusing to the locals at first but it will anger the security guards. The security guards/bouncers in nightclubs have connections to local organized crime elements and have their own way of dealing with unruly clubbers, for example if a fight breaks out and nightclub property is destroyed, the side that was the aggressor is usually physically forced into paying in cash for the damages and if the aggressor does not want to pay, the security guards will break your arms and legs and you'll disappear.

    Around or infront of nightclubs there are usually several Romani(Gypsy) kids, generally age 4-6, standing and begging bystanders for change. These kids are usually used for a racket, avoid giving them anything more than a 10 MKD bill and avoid always giving them change as they tend to remember those who give them change frequently and go to them to beg and usually with more determination. There are also some Romani kids and people of older age holding a plastic bag and blowing on it, in that plastic bag there's a powder that smells like spray paint. AVOID THEM. The powder they are blowing on is a local variant drug of a mixture of cocaine and heroin called 'bronza'. Do not be suprised if police officers ignore them and if security guards behave with extreme aggression towards them.

    If a fight breaks out in a nightclub, chances are the security guards will get involved. There is also a chance that the special Macedonian police unit the 'Alfi' will get involved. The Alfi do not care for whom they beat on if he or she is innocent or guilty. They are a local police unit made for fighting street criminals and breaking up fights with physical force and violence. They are usually dressed in dark blue t-shirts with a logo insignia on it in yellow and drive around in a blue Wolkswagen Golf 3. They do not carry around handguns. There have been many cases where the Alfi have been abusive --- especially towards minors --- and police brutality is extremely common. There have been many cases of murder by the Alfi going untouched.

    Alot of bars(kafani) have members of organized crime elements as customers frequently. Avoid going over to a stranger's table if the stranger seems suspicious or if he is under the influence of alcohol as they may be looking for a fight or are fraudsters who are persuasive in talking people into buying alcohol or food and once they get you intoxicated, they will have you pay a larger portion of the bill even though they will promise to pay it 50-50.

    Avoid cheering on fights, this won't make the two sides fight but instead both sides will shift their focus on you. Mind your own business. Alot of fights break out over the stupidest of things and are quickly resolved after several moments of instigating when both sides break up the fight by holding down the individuals and calming them down. If there is lots of loud and aggressive yelling, screaming, insulting and death threats then it is better to leave the space immidietly and NEVER get involved. Just because it may happen to be a fight, it doesn't mean it will end up as a fight would, especially if there are objects around to be used as weapons such as glass bottles, chairs and tables, be sure they will be used and flying around all over the place.

    Do not be alarmed if glasses are shattered by being slammed on the ground as this is a cultural thing, especially when one male individual is intoxicated and there is live music, usually folk, turbofolk or chalga playing. This practice is quite common for males of all ages.

    Do not look directly at younger members(teenagers and 20 year olds) of the Romani population as religion is a touchy thing and there is tension between the Macedonian(Orthodox) and Romani(Muslim) population in ?tip.

    Avoid certain nightclubs out of the center or bars in the rural places, especially if danger is felt in the athmosphere. It is common in all of Eastern Macedonia that walking into a certain nightclub or bar the first time, nightclubs and bars usually populated by people living in the rural parts of the country, to start fights just because you're an outsider, they don't know you or they don't like you or if you look, dress, talk or act differently. The phenomenon is called 'Talibanska Sema' aka 'Taliban style party' and it involves the myth of younger generations/mostly youth pulling out guns, bombs and swords for the reasons above.