THERE’s a city a few hours from the UK which has been compared to Las Vegas – despite being hundreds of miles away.
In North Macedonia is the city of Skopje.
Skopje is an underrated city that’s been compared to Las Vegas[/caption]
The ‘Warrior on a Horse’ statue is in the middle of Macedonia Square[/caption]
It has huge statues, modern buildings with columns, and Skopje was named as one of the 33 most underrated travel destinations in the world by Time Out.
The publication said that the city feels like “visiting an adult theme park” because of the similarities Skopje has to Las Vegas.
Dotted around the city are plenty of statues including the 22 metre high ‘Warrior on a Horse’.
The horse statue is found on Macedonia Square and features a fountain and water feature which light up at sunset and night.
Looks wise, it’s fairly similar to what you’ll find in Las Vegas outside Caesars Palace.
Another similarity is the look of the buildings which were rebuilt in 1963 after an earthquake.
Afterwards, lots of buildings were replaced with elaborate new buildings with features like Doric columns – again which are attributed to Las Vegas.
It’s not just similarities to the American city, Skopje also has its very own mini Arc de Triomphe that you see in Paris.
Called the Porta Macedonia, it’s also known as the Gate of Macedonia and was commissioned to commemorate 20 years of Macedonian independence.
The monument in Skopje is smaller than the one in Paris coming in at 69 feet tall – whereas Paris’ Arc de Triomphe measures at 162 foot in height.
If that isn’t enough to convince you to visit, Skopje was also revealed to be the second most affordable city in Europe.
Skopje even has its very own mini Arc de Triomphe[/caption]
Certain buildings have huge columns as well as grand statues[/caption]
In Skopje a meal in a restaurant comes in at under £6, and you can grab a 0.5-litre draught for under £2.
Other things to do around the city include exploring the historic marketplace called the Old Bazaar.
It’s one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, and it’s remained as an important part of history being at the centre for trade since at least the 12th century.
Just outside of the city is the Matka Canyon, one of the most popular outdoor destinations in North Macedonia.
The lake inside the canyon called Matka Lake is an artificial reservoir created in 1938.
The waters are popular for boat rides to see the caves, kayaking, and hiking along the shores.
Brits can fly directly from London Luton to Skopje from the UK with flights from £26 in September with Wizz Air.
For more about affordable cities, these are the cheapest in Europe – where a restaurant meal costs as little as £4.
Here’s the little-known European lake resort to rival Como and Garda that you’ll find in North Macedonia.
Skopje is an underrated city that has been compared to Las Vegas[/caption]