Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Statehood & Independence

Skopje


Part history museum, part national propaganda machine, this is a formidable memorial to North Macedonia's past occupation, land struggles and revolutionary heroes. The museum is dark, literally (the walls are black and lighting is low) and figuratively (gruesome giant oil paintings depict scenes of battle and betrayal, and physical reconstructions include a bloodied child's cradle and a dead revolutionary hung from the rafters). It's not suitable for children. The guides can be interesting and knowledgable but they do offer a one-sided perspective.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Skopje attractions

2. Sveti Dimitrija Church

0.09 MILES

Located just over the Stone Bridge heading into Čaršija, Sveti Dimitrija is a three-aisled church from the 19th century inside a small courtyard. There…

3. National Gallery of Macedonia

0.13 MILES

The Daut Paša Amam (1473) were once the largest Turkish baths outside of İstanbul and they make a magical setting for the permanent collection of Skopje's…

4. Archaeological Museum of Macedonia

0.13 MILES

This supersized pile of Italianate-styled marble has been a giant receptacle for Skopje's recent splurge on government-led monuments to boost national…

5. Ploštad Makedonija

0.17 MILES

This gigantic square is the centrepiece of Skopje's audacious nation-building-through-architecture project and it has massive statues dedicated to…

6. Tvrdina Kale Fortress

0.22 MILES

Dominating the skyline of Skopje, this Game of Thrones–worthy, 6th-century AD Byzantine (and later, Ottoman) fortress is an easy walk up from the Čaršija…

7. Sveti Spas Church

0.23 MILES

Partially submerged 2m underground (the Ottomans banned churches from being taller than mosques), this church dates from the 14th century and is the most…

8. Čaršija

0.25 MILES

Čaršija is Skopje's hillside Ottoman old town, evoking the city's past with its winding lanes filled with teahouses, mosques, craftspeople's shops, and…