If you are an outdoor enthusiast, Skopje offers a variety of activities that you can enjoy. The parks, however, are probably the best thing about Skopje. And you can find these in almost every neighborhood. Usually, during the weekends all the parks are full of people and during the summer period the main events, concerts, festivals, and other activities are happening there. So let’s take a look of the best parks in Skopje.
Skopje is known for its high temperatures during the summer period, so the shades from the trees are making the parks an ideal place for outdoor fun and recreation. What follows is a list of the best parks that you can find in Skopje, and some of the fun activities that you can enjoy in if you visit during the spring and summer season.
Skopje City Park also known as Skopje Central Park
Located in the center of the city, Skopje City Park is the biggest park that you can find in the capital and in the whole country. It started to take shape in the 19th century and it is one of the most significant landmarks in Skopje ever since.
The park occupies around 500.000 m², and extends between the Leninova Street from the east, the Boulevard “October Revolution” from the west, the Vardar River from the north and the Ilinden Boulevard from the south.
Part of the City Park are also the Skopje Zoo, the National sports Arena, most of the summer night clubs, the laser tag arena, few coffee bars and restaurants, three beautiful lakes, an amusement park (which is currently under construction), tennis fields and a garden variety of other attractions and amusements.
Skopje’s City Park is the main destination for all young people during the summer period because the night clubs are working till 4 am, and a lot of concerts are happening during the period from June to the end of September.
The park is divided into two parts, essentially called the new part and the old part. The new part is the one that is created in the mid-20th century. Here you can find deep shades, coffee bars, and restaurants, plenty of coffee to go carts, most of the night clubs, the amusement park, and the national stadium.
The old part, on the other hand, is wilder and has more of a natural look. The bigger lakes are on this side of the park and on one of them you can rent a kayak to go for a ride. Here you can come with a blanket and enjoy a nice picnic in spring or autumn with your family and friends.
Trivia: In the past, during the winter period, there are many accounts of citizens of Skopje skating on the frozen lakes.
Park Woman warrior
Placed in the strict center right next to the City Shopping Mall, the park is named after the monument placed in 1970 called “Woman Warrior”. It is dedicated to all the women from Macedonia that participated in World War II.
This is a small park but if you are looking for a place where you can take a rest from the long sightseeing tours, it is the ideal place. The shades from the trees are deep, and you will find plenty of benches and cold water from the fountains nearby. They make this park a perfect rest station before you continue your tour around the city center.
It the past 10 years you can find at least 5 new monuments in this park that represent some historical moments from the Macedonian past.
The Park Woman warrior is conveniently located across the street of the Macedonian parliament. What this means is that political protests and social cause gatherings often start or end right in the park. It is not entirely outlandish for groups of people to camp in their tents, sometimes for weeks on end, trying to raise awareness of an issue, or protest a current political establishment. This is, in a sense, a revolutionary park.
Parks in Aerodrom
There at quite a few parks in the neighborhood of Aerodrom, and these are great places for leisure and outdoor fun. Aerodrom is a relatively new neighborhood, build after Skopje’s catastrophic earthquake, but around every building, you can find a nice small park, so we can say that maybe it is the greenest part of the city.
In the past decade, the local authorities build a handful of new parks that are easily recognizable because of the huge fountains and artificial lakes. If you plan to visit Aerodrom don’t forget to check out Park Aerodrom and Park Jane Sandanski. The first is located next to the river Vardar, and overlooks the cycling and running lanes that stretch for miles on end. Due to its location and the demographic nature of the neighborhood (probably the place with most young couples), Park Aerodrom is one of the most interesting Skopje parks that you’ll ever visit.
Other parks that you need to visit
Besides the parks we mentioned earlier, there are other parks in Skopje that deserve your attention as well. For example, you can also explore the park-forest in Saraj and Gazi Baba, Garden park Skopje that is located in Kapishtec and the local park in Gjorche Petrov. The one at Gazi Baba is somewhat more difficult to arrive at, but it features a rather challenging cross-country trail that is excellent for bike enthusiasts.
Needless to say, the parks in Skopje highlight some of the most urban areas this city has to offer, and they are often synonymous to positive vibes, exciting events, and people who are having a great time.