Bus from Skopje to Berlin

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.

Berlin is the capital, as well as the biggest city in Germany with 3,5 millions citizens. Devided in twelve districts, through Berlin flow rivers Spree and Havel and a lot of smaller streams that can be found at the city territory, in addition to lakes and forests. The city is situated in the mild climate zone between maritime to continental climate. The average temperature in Berlin  amounts to 9,5 °C.

Berlin features 175 museums and has more than 140 theaters, as well as 300 cinemas. There are 4650 restaurants, around 900 pubs and 190 bars and discos, which makes it one of the most captivating tourist destinations worldwide!

The most famous sightseeing attractions in Berlin are the following:

The Brandenburg Gate (das Brandeburger Tor) was built from 1788 to 1791. The classical construction was preserved from time of the German Democratic Republic and was considered a symbol of the Division of Germany.  After the Reunification the Gate gets another meaning and becomes the symbol of the German Unity. At the Brandenburg Gate a famous statue group designed by Johhan Gottfried Schadow decorates its top, the Quadriga.

The Television Tower (Fernsehturm) –situated  in the vicinity of Alexanderplatz, the Television Tower with its height of 368 meters it is the tallest building in Germany. The Tower is visited by more than 1 million tourists every year. When the weather is clear one can enjoy in a spectacular wide view above Berlin and the surrounding area.

Postdam Square (Postdamer Platz) – the modern city center surrounding Postdam Square was rebuilt on a wasteland after the Cold War and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, which made a clear border between East and West Berlin. Today several skyscraper are shapind the skyline above the Postdamer Platz, and  Railway Tower, the Kollhoff Tower and Piano Skyscraper form the entrance gate to the inner city.

The Holocaust Memorial – The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe or the Holocaust Memorial consists of 2711 concrete blocks built (stelae) in honour of the millions of people that were murdered during the time of the National Socialism. Underground of the Memorial’s field of stelae contains  Place of Information (Ort der Information), which documents the persecution and destruction of the European Jews.

The Old Arsenal (Zeughaus) Unter den Linden – it is the oldest building construction at the Boulevard Unter den Linden. The previous Zeughaus was the most extensive armory in the Prussia in the XVIII century, but, during the XX century it was redesigned by the government into the Museum of German History, which presented the collection of the history of Germany.

Central Station (Hauptbanhof) – Berlin Central Station was officially opened in May 2006. From Monday to Sunday, around 80 Shops are opened on different levels of the station. The glass construction and the glass roof represent the distuinguishing feature of the station.

Berlin is one of the most visited centers of national and international city tourism, and with its cuisine and specialities you can experience the perks of Berlin to the utmost.