Bitola, Former Yoguslav Republic of Macedonia

Founded as Heraclea Lyncestis, by Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great), in the 4th century BC. Bitola is the second largest city in Macedonia.

Curiosities

•   The city was the last capital of Ottoman Rumelia (1836-1867) and is currently the capital of the municipality of Bitola, located near the frontier with Greece.
•   It is also an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational center.
•   The Religion is mostly Orthodox, but there is lots of mosques and about 10% of the population is muslim.
•  The Manaki Festival of Film and Camera is the oldest film festival in the world which value the work of cinematographers.
•   Bitolino is an annual children's theater festival held in August with the Babec Theater.

Some interesting places to visit are:

Magnolia Square

Magnolia Square is the main square of Bitola. There are several landmarks surrounding the square: Mosque, the Clock Tower, statue of Phillip II of Macedon (in the center of the square) and the beginning of Sirok Sokak, the main pedestrian boulevard of the city.

                                                                        The statue of Phillip II of Macedon

The Old Bazaar

Stara Čaršija, or the Old Bazaar of Bitola, is one of the city’s most important cultural and social features. Walking the cobblestone streets it is easy to gain a sense of how the bazaar felt in its heyday – it boasted over 900 shops selling everything from housewares to farm animals. Historically, the Old Bazaar was the place where you could find anything you needed.

The Ruins

Though smaller than the original city, the archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis holds several important buildings and sites. These include the Roman theatre, Roman thermae (bath complex), small and large basilicas added by the Byzantines, Jewish temple, and intricate church floor mosaics that are fantastic examples of early Christian art.

 Anyway, there are many interesting things to do in Bitola. If you got interested, see the video below, which shows other tourist spots of the city and an organic dining option in Villa Dihovo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCYUOqMehYk
- By Henrique Varela, João Vicente and Leonardo Bertoletti.-