Western North Macedonia
A land of scenic mountains, lakes, forests, and fields sandwiched between the Povardarie region and Albania, Western North Macedonia is where a casual traveller will likely spend most of their time in North Macedonia as it houses most of the attractions that North Macedonia is known for.| Tap on a place to explore it |
Photo: Elen Schurova, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Essential Destinations
Top destinations include Ohrid and Bitola.
Ohrid
Photo: Avramescu Marius, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Ohrid is a town in southwestern North Macedonia on the shore of Lake Ohrid. A town of vast history and heritage, it was made a UNESCO heritage site in 1980.
Bitola
Photo: PetarM, CC BY 3.0 rs.
Bitola is a grand old town that still bears the marks of its turn-of-the-century importance as a center for diplomacy – while also exemplifying the country's time-honored cafe culture.
Tetovo
Photo: Ggia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tetovo is a town tucked into Polog region in the northwestern corner of western North Macedonia, in the shadow of the Šar Mountains. The major city of the Polog region, it has about 53,000 people, making it the fifth-largest city in North Macedonia.
Destinations to Discover
Explore places such as Polog and Prilep.
Polog
Polog is a region in the northwestern corner of North Macedonia, bordering Kosovo to the north and Albania to the west.
Prilep
Prilep is a city in Western North Macedonia nicknamed "The city under Marko’s towers", alluding to its fortress. The city of 76,768 is the Macedonian tobacco and beer capital - tobacco leaves can be seen drying across the city and Prilep's brewery produces most of the country's most popular beers.
Struga
Photo: Liridon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Struga is a city in Western North Macedonia on Lake Ohrid. Nicknamed the "City of Poetry and World's Poetry City", it is known for its annual international poetry festival.
Kruševo
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Kruševo is a town in western North Macedonia. Its location at an elevation of 1,350 m, among the highest in the Balkans, gives it a degree of isolation.
Resen
Photo: Photo Balkan, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Resen is a city in southwestern North Macedonia. It has just under 9,000 residents within city limits and is the seat of Resen Municipality which includes the town as well as 43 surrounding villages with a total population of nearly 17,000.
Debar
Debar is a city in the very western part of western North Macedonia, right on the border with Albania. Debar has about 14,000 people in its city limits, with a total population of under 20,000 in Debar Municipality which includes 17 surrounding villages.
Kičevo
Photo: Iscube123, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Kičevo is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar. The capital Skopje is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.
Demir Hisar
Demir Hisar is a municipality located in western North Macedonia, south of Kruševo. The municipality has under 10,000 residents spread across 40 villages and the town of Demir Hisar, which is the municipality's seat.Debarca
Debarca is a municipality located in western North Macedonia, north of Ohrid and south of Kičevo. The rural municipality has over 5,000 residents spread across 30 villages.Prespa
Photo: Pudulek, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Prespa is a region surrounding the Great Prespa Lake and Small Prespa Lake. This international region is shared by Albania, Greece, and North Macedonia, which contains a majority of the Great Prespa Lake.
Makedonski Brod
Photo: Ajta, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Makedonski Brod is a town in Western North Macedonia, on the south-eastern part of Suva Gora, western Karadžica, and south-western Dautica mountains. The Makedonski Brod Municipality, which consists of the town and 50 surrounding villages, contains the historical region of Poreče which is tied to the Treska River.
Pelister National Park
Photo: Ptahhotep, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Pelister National Park is a national park in the Municipality of Bitola, North Macedonia. The park is located in the Baba Mountain massif and covers an area of 171.5 square kilometres.
Vevčani
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Vevčani is a village in western North Macedonia at the foot of the Jablanica Mountain. Just east of the border with Albania, it is 14 kilometres northwest of the town of Struga and Lake Ohrid.
Elšani
Photo: Tancino, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Elšani is a picturesque village located just by Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia. Roughly 10 kilometers south of the City of Ohrid, the village is on the western slopes of Galičica Mountain within the lush Galičica National Park.
Brajčino
Photo: Ehrlich91, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brajčino is a picturesque village in the mountains of Western North Macedonia, just off the eastern shore of Lake Prespa. The village has a population of around 160 people, most of whom are older people.
Galičica National Park
Photo: MartinDimitrievski, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Galičica National Park is in the Galičica mountains in the southwestern corner of North Macedonia. It occupies pretty much the entire area between Ohrid and Prespa Lakes, from Ohrid in the north to the Albanian border in the south.
Mariovo
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mariovo is a region in southern North Macedonia. This historic region consists of 29 villages spread across the southern chunk of Prilep Municipality, as well as neighboring portions of Novaci and Kavadarci municipalities, bordering Greece to the south.
Western North Macedonia
- Description: western part of North Macedonia
- Location: North Macedonia, Balkans, Europe
- View on OpenStreetMap
Latitude of center
41.4898° or 41° 29′ 23″ northLongitude of center
21.1874° or 21° 11′ 15″ eastWikidata ID
Q14209326
This page is based on Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.
Satellite Map
Discover Western North Macedonia from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
In Other Languages
From French to Italian—“Western North Macedonia” goes by many names.
- French: “Macédoine du Nord occidentale”
- German: “Westmazedonien”
- Greek: “Δυτική Βόρεια Μακεδονία”
- Italian: “Regione occidentale”
- Italian: “Repubblica di Macedonia occidentale”
North Macedonia: Must-Visit Destinations
Delve into Skopje, Kumanovo, Strumica, and Štip.
Explore These Curated Destinations
Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Western North Macedonia”. Photo: Elen Schurova, CC BY-SA 2.0.