Bus from Skopje to Osnabruk

Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic center. Skopje is located on the upper course of the Vardar River, and is located on a major north-south Balkan route between Belgrade and Athens. It was known in the Roman period under the name Scupi.

The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; remains of Neolithic settlements have been found within the old Kale Fortress that overlooks the modern city centre. On the eve of the 1st century AD, the settlement was seized by the Romans and became a military camp. When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in 395 AD, Scupi came under Byzantine rule from Constantinople.

Being the capital of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje is home to the largest cultural institutions of the country, such as the National and University Library "St. Kliment of Ohrid", the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the National Theatre, the National Philarmonic Orchestra and the Macedonian Opera and Ballet. Among the local institutions are the Brothers Miladinov Library which has more than a million documents, the Cultural Information Centre which manages festivals, exhibitions and concerts, and the House of Culture Kočo Racin which is dedicated to contemporary art and young talents.

The Skopje Jazz Festival has been held annually in October since 1981. It is part of the European Jazz Network and the European Forum of World Wide Festivals. The artists' profiles include fusion, acid jazz, Latin jazz, smooth jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Ray Charles, Tito Puente, Gotan Project, Al Di Meola, Youssou N'Dour, among others, have performed at the festival. Another music festival in Skopje is the Blues and Soul Festival. It is a relatively new event in the Macedonian cultural scene that occurs every summer in early July. Past guests include Larry Coryell, Mick Taylor & the All-Stars Blues Band, Candy Dulfer & Funky Stuff, João Bosco, The Temptations, Tolo Marton Trio, Blues Wire, and Phil Guy.

On the border to North Rhine-Westphalia lies the Lower Saxonian metropolis of Osnabrück, which is the third-largest city in the state after Hanover and Braunschweig. The modern city is the economic and cultural heart of the Osnabrücker Land and the western part of Lower Saxony. The metropolis is beautifully situated on the Teutoburger Wald. Osnabrück is also often referred to as the seat of the German Peace Research Foundation (Stiftung Friedensstadt).

The city offers a number of sights and leisure activities, such as the Botanical Garden of the University of Osnabrück or the Theater Osnabrück. The university town is very well situated in the cultural area, which is due to the large catchment area with up to one million people. One of the cultural institutions with a supraregional value is the collection "Felix Nussbaum" in the Felix-Nussbaum-Haus. More than 200 exhibits by the native Osnabrücker artist have been brought together here. One of the fixed events in Osnabrück is the European Media Art Festival, which attracts attention throughout Germany. One of the most popular leisure activities in the city is the Osnabrück Zoo, which was opened in 1936 and is located on the slopes of Schölerberg. The Schölerberg is a district and recreation area of ​​the Lower Saxony metropolis.

The Friedensstadt Osnabrück is a large city with about 165,000 inhabitants and a huge catchment area in Osnabrücker Land. The region is located in the south-west of Lower Saxony and borders the state of North-Rhine Westphalia. The Teutoburger Wald and the Osnabrück mountain landscape characterize the landscape of the Osnabrücker Land, which attracts many nature lovers to the region.

The landscape stretches into the city of Osnabrück, making the metropolis a green city. Some interesting cities are located nearby. This includes the university town of Münster and the former textil center Bielefeld. Bremen is located about 100 kilometers northeast of Osnabrück. Around 800,000 people live in the conurbation of Osnabrück, which has a strong impact on the metropolis, especially in terms of culture. Osnabrück is particularly known for its peacekeeping, so the city wins the Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize every year.

The city center of Osnabrück has many sights to visit. The historical Town Hall with gothic style, built in 1512, is the center of the Old Town. The Thirty Years' War was ended here and in the Town Hall of Münster by the Peace of Westphalia. Many portraits of well-known European rulers decorate the Peace Hall in the Town Hall Osnabrück. In the inner city, the cultural-historical Museum Osnabrück and the Felix-Nussbaum-Haus are among the popular sights among the visitors.

The early baroque château is the Osnabrück Castle, which is located on the border between the historical old town and the new town. Dating back to the 17th century, the castle was once a prince-bishop's residence and is a favorite destination for recreation seekers. The special buildings of Osnabrück include the cathedral St. Peter - the cathedral church of the Osnabrück diocese. The cathedral in the late Romanesque style with its distinctive four-storey tower was inaugurated for the first time in 785. Today's form got its temple in the 13th century.

Osnabrück has numerous cultural attractions to offer visitors. Beside the theater Osnabrück there is the open-air stage Tecklenburg and two forests. The Museum of Industrial Culture at the Piesberg is a popular museum. Here, hard coal was mined in the industrial era of the city.

There are permanent exhibitions in the Haseschacht building, including the topic of coal mining and early factories. One of the popular leisure activities is the Botanical Garden of the University of Osnabrück, which is open to visitors and citizens alike. Among the attractions of the landscape garden is the Regenwaldhaus, which was opened in 1998. The Rubbenbruch lake is one of the most popular recreation areas in the city. The artificial lake is located in the west of Osnabrück. Here you can enjoy a nice walk or sail the lake with pedal boats.