Ohrid lake is the star of Macedonia’s visitor industry and even has its own international airport
With so many mountains and valleys the temperatures in Macedonia vary widely: summer temperatures can reach 40°C, while in winter it can drop as low as minus
30°C. Still average annual temperatures are above 10°C almost everywhere with unexpected coolness from a cold northerly wind known as the Vardarac. Summers
are hot and dry, while in winter the snow falls in the mountains from November to April. The best time to enjoy Macedonia is anytime. Many will choose to come between May and October, when the weather is the warmest and the driest. Evenings, though, may be quite cool. So bring lightweight clothing for the summer months, with warmer wear for the
evenings. The peak tourist season is from mid-July to mid-August, when locals take their holidays. Macedonia has a winter visitor with a number of ski resorts
as well.
Macedonia is mountain country of unspoiled beauty and striking vistas and pronounced seasons. In Winter you can go sking, hunting or glacier climbing. In spring it is easy to enjoy the outdoors, hiking is spectacular or enjoy the hospitality of towns with large public squares and much accessible public art featuring the heroes from the republic that has struggled the longest to be recognized and understood as a distinct proud people. Macedonia delights in erecting statues of Alexander the Great or his father King Phillip but there are many chapels and memorials to the past everywhere. During summer you can enjoy world class lakes Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran lakes or some of the many smaller lakes throughout the blessed country long desired to be annexed by its larger neighbors of Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. In autumn, you can discover excellent wineries offering not only excellent Cabernet and Merlots but also some more ancient varietals with a 3 millennium history of local organic production. Perhaps the most celebrated is the Vrnanec varietal dry red wine of a unique taste and character that is synonymous with the Balkans.
Macedonia actually has three different climates: “Changed Mediterranean”, “Mountainous” and “Mildly Continental”:
The changed mediteranean climate is represented in the Gevgelija-Valandovo ravine, the Dojran and the Strumica-Radovis ravines. This climate is characterized by long, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Still, the average yearly rainfall in the areas with changed mediteranean climate is fairly low at 600-750 mm.
The mountaneous climate is found in the high mountaneous regions of the country. These regions have the highest yearly precipitation in the country with as much as 1,000 mm rain and snowfall.
The mildly continental climate is most characteristic of Macedonia, covering the biggest area. The summers and autumns are warm and dry.
The winters are wet, windy and cold with a lot of snow. Bring medium and heavy clothing and definitely wet weather gear.
Demir Kapija is the hottest town in the country with a summer temperature that can get up to 40 degrees Celsius. In July the average temperature is between 20 and 23°C (70 and 73°F). The average temperature in January is between –20 and 0°C (–4 and 32°F).
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