Kumanovo
Kumanovo is city with about 105,000 people located in the northern part of Eastern Macedonia. Located in the middle of a long valley 35 km to the northeast of Skopje, Kumanovo is one of Macedonia’s larger cities. It is populated by Macedonians, Albanians, Roma, Serbians, Turks, and others.
Understand
Kumanovo today is a modernizing town, where new offices, houses and restaurants are constantly being built. It is well-outfitted with sports grounds, theatres, internet cafes and eateries, and is especially famous throughout the country for its nightlife.
Get in
Kumanovo is on the east-west crossroad in Macedonia. The major road from Serbia to Greece and from Bulgaria to Albania passes near Kumanovo
By air
The Skopje International Airport is located only 17 km away from Kumanovo.
By train
- 1 Kumanovo train station (Zhelznichka Stanica-Kumanovo), Zheleznichka road (SW 2.8 km - at the south-west suburbs). Located on the railway line Belgrade - Thessaloniki
By bus
- 2 Bus Station (Atobuska Stanica) (Northern Part).
- Eurobus - international coach operator that has almost daily buses from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia. Stops in the major cities Skopje, Tetovo, Ohrid. Prices from € 70.
Get around
Cheapest and most effective way to get around Kumanovo is by taxi. Some affordable and comfortable companies include DeLux taxi, Speed Taxi and other similar ones.
Public transport in Kumanovo is not well organized, but still you will be able to find buses and minivans to all suburbs leaving the center on every 30 min.
See
- 1 Eski Mosque, 11th of October. - the oldest object with public function in Kumanovo, built in 1751.
- Kumanovo Central Square - the central square of Kumanovo features many interesting and historical buildings. Starting from the building of the old cinema Napredok built at the beginning of the XX century as the home of the Manufacturers Association of Kumanovo. Just in front of the building is the statue of Batko Gjorgjija (Brother George) who is the town's mythical person admired as the biggest drunk and ladies-man. Across the streets you will see the nowadays administrative municipal buildings that are called "Kasapski Krug". The town square also features a fountain with a monument called "tumba 4 bandere" that was the symbol of the city center. On the smaller square you will find several monument from the antifascist war as well as a monument dedicated to Tito (Yugoslavia's lifelong President)
- 2 Kokino (Кокино) (30 km northeast of Kumanovo; overlooking the village of the same name). An important megalithic observatory site discovered in 2001 by archeologist Jovica Stankovski. It is believed that represents an astronomical observatory and a ceremonial place. The site is approximately 3800 years old.Kokino consists of two parts. It includes special stone markers used to track the movement of Sun and Moon on the eastern horizon. The observatory used a method of stationary observation, marking positions of the Sun at the winter and summer solstice, as well as the equinox.The importance of the site, detailed by physicist Gjore Cenev, was confirmed by the U.S. space agency NASA. It appears fourth on the list of old observatories compliled by NASA.
- St. Nicolas Church - is surrounded by arcades and has a rich interior with galleries, frescoes and furniture. According to an inscription on the south entrance, it was built in 1851 on the same site as a prior church (with the same patron) in the "Varosh maalo".
- St. Trojca Church - The Church of St. Trojca (the Holy Trinity) is known as the youngest public religious object built in 1902. This church is a product from the struggles in the XIX century by initiative of the Patriarshy.
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- The Church of St. George - The church was first constructed in 1071, and reconstructed between 1313 and 1318 by the Serbian king of at that time, Stefan Milutin. During this reconstruction period, the church's walls were painted with frescoes by Mihailo and Evtihij, among which are depictions of Stefan Milutin and his queen, Simonida.
Do
Events
- Kumanovo Jazz Festival
- Days of Comedy Festival - it features comedies from several Macedonian theatres and also from neighbouring Serbia and Bulgaria.
- Kumanovo STREETS Festival - this year from 4–5 July with:
Foltin (MK), Vinsky Project (N), Sopha (B) and Vlatko Stefanovski (MK) Dani Dimitrovska (MK), Kthjellu (KS), Parketi (MK), Negative (RS) on Kumanovo main square for free
Buy
Shopping in Kumanovo can be a diverse experience.
- Green market. Here you can find cheap fake brands sold. Get your fake D&G glasses for €5 and experience the sparkling life of the famous.
- Biba Ethno Shop (in the "Kasapski Krug" area). You can buy souvenirs at here. Also some postcards and smaller souvenirs are available at the small multi-product shops and libraries in town
Clothes
There are shops such as Springfield, Replay, Van and Nike as well as modern shopping centers. Also there are a few designers working in Kumanovo out of which the most popular is Aleksandar Rashkovich
- Nama shopping center.
- Suma shopping center.
- Garnizon shopping center.
Eat
- Fra Giorgo restaurant (in the old "Kasapski krug" area). elite service and fantastic ambient
Of course Kumanovo has many more options for dining out. The prices are relatively cheap and the food offered contains the finest Macedonian and international cuisine.
Pizza places: Aktuelle, Laguna, Arbesha, Manos, Gino (Tus)
Local Balkan restaurants known as "Kafana" that mainly serve barbecue: Baba Cana, Adzi Trajko, Batko Gjorgjia and many more
While in Kumanovo try the famous "Kumanovo sudzuk" - a sausage produced in Kumanovo and available at all barbecue places.
Drink
Numerous cafes and bars are at your disposal in Kumanovo.
- Irish Pub THE HARP. 08:00-24:00/ 08:00-01:00. 100% Irish owned, the only authentic Irish Pub in Macedonia. Music Type: International. You can also eat there.
-Nama Café: located on the main square, it is a new cafe, quite big, with space, a nice place to take a coffee, chatter with friends or enjoy a good meal.
-Agora: located in “Garnizon”, Music Type: Alternative and rock
-Cube: located in the building called “Garnizon”, small but nice bar, Music type: rock
-Harisma: located in “Garnizon”, with free internet access, modern cafe
-Carigrad: Turkish style cafe, located in “Garnizon”, quiet and good ambient.
- Amnesia - disco playing mainly electronic music or Macedonian pop music
- Versaj - disco and club with interesting live performances from DJs and singers
- Tunel - a club with turbo folk music and Yugoslav pop music.
Sleep
- 1 Hotel Kristal, Ploshtad Nova Jugoslavija(Плоштад Нова Југославија) (in the center).
Hotel Rim-Pariz - in the center of the town ; a small hotel easily connected with main town attractions
- 2 Hotel Satelit, Ulica 100 1 (NE 2.2 km - on the road to Bulgaria), ☏ +389 31 475999. calm place - Sgl/Dbl MKD1800/2500 (- For one person) - MKD3000(- For 2 persons ), Apartments dbl/tpl/quad MKD3500/4000/4500, Luxury Apts MKD6000 OR Rooms €30,41,50; Apts €57-100.
- 3 Hotel Hills, Strasho Pindjur, 2-50 (SE 3.2 km- in the suburbs of Zelen Rid). - calm and welcoming
- 4 Hotel Mimoza, Nikshichka (SE 2.3km). - One of the most exclusive accommodation facilities in town.
- 5 Hotel Kuba (SE 3,3 km - near to 'Park Home of Hunters'). At Kumanovo Bath
Hotel Lav - Near the railway station
Connect
- 3 Post Office, 11th of October бб (Center).
Go next
- Beljakovo monastery - an old church and a spring of water with healing power were located. Today the church is very well preserved, while the monastic quarters are almost destroyed. The locals claim that the church was built in Roman times, and was restored more than 100 years ago. The elderly remember that the monastic life was renewed by a Russian monk Anatolij, who retreated in Macedonia after the October Revolution. The rites related to Christian holidays Mala Bogorodica, Gjurgjovden, Holy Trinity and Duhovden are performed even today in the yard of the monastery. A large congregation was held here where people from all surrounding villages would join up to 30 years ago. The village people tell the story of the church restoration: “It was a Roman church, and later restored. The Turks wouldn’t let us build a church. ‘What are you building’? ‘A pen, for livestock”. And later, it was renovated. In the past century, there was an old man, Stamen, who moved from village Rudare and he healed the people who would come for remedy with the healing water. The people from the village also donated money for restoration of the church. It was finished in 1894.
- Pelince is a village in the Republic of Macedonia near Kumanovo and the border between the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia. It is in the Staro Nagoričane municipality. The village became popular among the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia in 2004 when a new national commemorative of ASNOM was built in the village, where the annual celebration of the Macedonian statehood (The Second Ilinden of 1944) has taken place ever since. This decision was brought due to the countinious refusals by the Serbian Orthodox Church authorities to allow Macedonian delegations to visit and celebrate the holiday in the actual venue of ASNOM, the Prohor Pčinjski monastery which is on Serbian territory near the Macedonian border and near the village of Pelince.
- Skopje - Macedonia’s capital city.
