LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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IS BITOLA WORTH VISITING + BEST THINGS TO DO IN BITOLA.

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The second city of Bitola is known for the ancient city of Heraclea Lyncestis, beautiful Mosques and as the place that Atatürk went to school. We found all of this, but we also discovered a quiet urban sophistication. A welcoming and affordable city with excellent accommodation and even better Aperol Spritz.

This city guide to Bitola will help you navigate the city, decide where to stay, eat and drink and how to spend your time.

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Is Bitola worth visiting?

As soon as we arrived in Bitola, we knew we had made the right decision adding it to our North Macedonia itinerary. With a population of around 70,000, this charming small city quickly reveals its character. Bitola is the kind of place where you can immediately get a feel for the local vibe relatively quickly.

We arrived at 07:30 on a Sunday morning, fresh off the bus from Ohrid. Within minutes, we found a coffee shop, a terrace with Parisian style furniture, already buzzing with lively chatter. Bitola welcomed us with open arms, despite its limited number of tourists.

You will love Bitola if you enjoy slipping into a slower pace of life. If you’re the kind of traveler who prefers “ways to spend a few enjoyable hours” over a checklist of “things to do,” Bitola is your ideal destination.

In Bitola, we spent hours completing crosswords over coffee, meandering through the Old Bazaar with no particular destination in mind, and discovering just enough great places to eat and drink in the evenings.

It is a city that invites you to relax and savour the moment, offering a delightful escape from the fast pace of more tourist-heavy destinations. It doesn’t overwhelm, but instead titillates the senses.

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What is Bitola known for?

Bitola is know as the second city of North Macedonia, with Skopje being the first. Often it is called the “City of Consuls” because there are a number of consulate buildings found in Bitola – we noticed a French and Turkish consulate at a cursory glance, but there are more in the city.

Many Turkish tourists visit Bitola because it is here that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk attended Monastir Military High School. Today this former school houses a museum.

Bitola is probably most well known for Heraclea Lyncestis. An ancient city, founded by Philip II of Macedon which boasts impressive ruins, including a well-preserved amphitheater, Roman baths, and intricate mosaics.

I was also very interested to find out that Bitola is twinned with Rockdale in Sydney, a suburb that I have visited before and where I met many Macedonians.

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Things to do in Bitola

As mentioned, a visit to Bitola is less about ticking off at do list and more about simply taking time to enjoy the pleasure of small things. One at a time. It is about eating, drinking and savouring.

Things to do in Bitola: A map

Here are 14 of the best ways to spend time in Bitola.

1 / Promenade along Shirok Sokak

Shirok Sokak is a bustling pedestrian street lined with cafes, shops, and historic buildings. It’s the heart of Bitola and perfect for people-watching.

We absolutely love a pedestrian street in a city and Shirok Sokak is one of the best we’ve experienced on our travels. Whatever the time of the day, there seemed to be a bit of a buzz.

In the morning locals appear one by one, forming impromptu coffee dates. It’s fair to say that mostly it is men who are gathering for the longest with friends over coffee, we always enjoy seeing this in Europe.

Evening is when Shirok Sokak really comes to life and the women come out too. Between 19:00 and 22:30, take a seat in one of the bars or join in as families, glamorous groups of ladies with push chairs and romancing couples come out in force to promenade down the pedestrianized main street of Bitola.

2 / Eat pastry in the city park

When in the Balkans, don’t miss out on a Burek from a local bakery. Burek is a pastry based pie, often made with Spinach, Cheese or Meat. An inexpensive meal that is mostly enjoyed in the morning by Macedonians, but is available throughout the day.

We recommend picking up a Burek early in the morning and taking a stroll to the City Park. The park offers shade from the sun and is an easy walk, with a chance to perch on a bench and watch the world go by as you savour your Burek.

3 / See the clock tower

The clock tower in Bitola, known Sahat Kula, is an important city landmark. It is believed that the clock tower was built in the Ottoman period, around the late 16th or early 17th century.

At 30metres high, the clock tower cuts an imposing figure, standing above a small park area close to Magnolia Square. Although it will only take a few minutes to see the tower, and you can’t enter, we recommend pausing for a moment and just observing the area.

4 / Drink Tom Collins at a jazz bar

Bitola is a city with a young and vibrant energy and there are lots of bars that have a great atmosphere in the evening. Our suggestion is to move away from Shirok Sokak to find the best spots for a nightcap.

We loved Porta Jazz bar for a post-dinner cocktail. There is often live music, not exclusively jazz (thankfully for some!) Prices are reasonable and the crowd is eclectic. The outdoor terrace is leafy and pleasant, but can get crowded. An alternative if there’s no space at Porta Jazz is Bar Optsina, a few doors down.

5 / Visit The Church of St Demitrius

The Church of St Demitrius, known as Sv. Dimitrija, is an impressive demonstration of Ottoman Architecture in Bitola. Although it was built in the 1800s, elements of the building were added or changed in the last 100 years.

We tried to visit the church a few times but found that it wasn’t open. Whilst it is worth swinging by to see it, unfortunately it appears that you can not visit outside of prayer times.

6/ People watching + wine in Magnolia Square

At the end of Shirok Sokak is Magnolia Square. You’ll find a handful of restaurants and bars, as well as a jaunty fountain and monument. In the evening this square is buzzing, and echoes with the sound of families and children playing.

Pause to try a glass of Macedonian wine in Vino Bar Bure, which offers a shaded terrace looking out to the square.

7 / Eat at Pizza Metro

Pizza Metro is a cute restaurant with outdoor space found just next to the clock tower in Bitola.

We arrived at around 20:00 and hesitated about taking a seat as we were the only people there – thankfully we trusted our gut (stomachs) and grabbed a table. Within 30 minutes there were people clamoring to get in. As it turns out, this is a very popular spot.

I can see why -the pizza is incredible, as are the huge fresh salads on offer. Sit back with views of Magnolia Square in the distance and enjoy a glass of cold Macedonian Wine or a Skopsko Beer or two, alongside a slice.

8 / Mezze + Rakija at Pepsito

As we’ve traveled more in North Macedonia, we’ve realized how much we favour a traditional grill and meze restaurant over a bistro. Bitola has a load of great restaurants, but few have the enduring charm of the tavernas found in the Old Bazaar area.

If you too crave a more old-fashioned experience, seek out Pepsito, found next to the river for a quick bite at lunch. It doesn’t seem to open in the evening, but makes a wonderful midday perch for a few grilled meats with Rakija – potent Macedonian Brandy.

9 / Morning Espresso

Coffee in Bitola and Macedonia in general, is big business. A morning coffee in Bitola takes on an almost ceremonial quality – it’s not just coffee, it’s a ritual.

As a coffee lover, I felt that I had my pick of great places. From terraces with Parisian style furniture, to cozy back street nooks. Our top three choices are GT Coffee (Espresso), Coffee Aero (excellent Freddo Cappuccino) and Cafe Retro found in the Old Bazaar area. All three are linked in our map above.

10 / Explore the Old Bazaar

The Old Bazaar is an area of Bitola which provides quite a contrast in style to the modern pedestrian areas.

Here you will find winding streets showcasing a hodge podge of shops and cafes. Spend an hour or so here discovering curiosities and taking photos of vintage signage.

11 / Shop in the City Market

The City Market is found in the Old Bazaar area. It is an outdoor market selling a vast array of fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and clothing. We always love discovering new markets and the one in Bitola, whilst not offering anything particularly unusual, is friendly, colourful and lively.

Just a heads up – the city market is not open on Sundays.

12 / See Bitola’s Mosques

There are a number of Mosques in Bitola. The minaret of Yeni Mosque, or the “New Mosque” is visible from the main street in Bitola. Isak Beg Mosque is found close to the Old Bazaar area.

Much like the church in Bitola, visits are only available during prayer times.

13 / Aperol Spritz at Art Bar Radost

Any city offering Aperol Spritz for a couple of Euros is a good place to be in my opinion. We found many a great bar in Bitola for pre-dinner drinks, but perhaps the most unique spot we found was Art Bar Radost.

A creative space set down a shaded alleyway a stone’s throw from the Clock Tower.

14 / Visit the ancient ruins of Heraclea Lyncestis

Saving the best to last! Heraclea Lyncestis is probably the most famous site in Bitola and one which is well worth a visit.

Heraclea Lyncestis, bearing the name of the legendary Greek hero Heracles, was established by Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. The site offers an insight into ancient urban design. Be sure to explore the Theater, Roman Baths, and stunning mosaics during your visit.

To get the most from the site, download the Heraclea app onto your mobile phone and take your headphones with you. Then you can use the Audio Tour function as you move around the site. Spoiler alert, it’s not the most invigorating of audio tours but does improve the experience a little.

Tickets cost 130 MKD (around 2.50 Euros) and you can expect to spend around one hour here. The site is a little out of town, around 30 minutes by foot or a short taxi ride. The walk is quite pleasant as you can cut through the city park, but it is still best to avoid visiting in the heat of the day. As a heads up – the site is not open on Mondays.

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Where to stay in Bitola

As Bitola is a small city, we recommend staying close to the action. Our apartment was on the main street and we loved the ability to pop in and out at a moments notice.

Here are a few suggestions for places to stay in Bitola

BUDGET: Goldy Hostel – a 15 minute walk from the bus station and close to town. Offers dorm accommodation or private rooms.

MID-RANGE: Somnia Apartments – this is where we stayed, right on Shirok Sokak. Our apartment had a terrace facing the mountains. Clean accommodation and very helpful manager.

LUXURY: There’s not a huge amount of luxury accommodation in Bitola, Grand Central Station is one option. A four star centrally located hotel with designer touches.

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How to get to Bitola

Bitola is a well connected city in North Macedonia. With relative ease you can add Bitola to most itineraries.

Getting to Bitola from Skopje

There are several buses per day between Bitola and Skopje. The bus takes around 3 hours 30 minutes with good traffic. Bus times change regularly and aren’t always easy to confirm, so we recommend checking in with bus stations to find out the exact times that buses will run.

Getting to Bitola from Ohrid

Buses run regularly between Bitola and Ohrid on a daily basis. At time of writing, there is a 06:00 and a 15:30 daily service from Ohrid to Bitola. This is operated by Gamal, a Macedonian bus company.

We noticed that times listed on Google Maps were a little inaccurate, but it is possible to contact Gamal directly on Facebook or via email to confirm departure times.

The bus takes 1 hour 30 minutes and costs roughly 8 Euros per person.

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Stray dogs in Bitola

You may notice that there are a fair few stray pooches in Bitola. Thankfully, it looks that they’ve been neutered and tagged but nevertheless as dog lovers, seeing stray dogs is something we always find difficult to see when we travel.

We wanted to shout out to a dog charity in Bitola, called Bitola Arc Animals – just in case the dogs in Bitola touched your heart like they touched ours. Every dog deserves a home.

Each month we donate a percentage of profit from our website to local charities and this month, we will be choosing Bitola Arc Animals. We don’t know the charity personally and therefore can’t vouch for them, but our research suggests that they do good work.

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Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

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