Stip is a small town 25km south of Kocani. It has a population of around 50,000 and is the largest urban area for the surrounding municipalities.

Stip is home to the only university in eastern North Macedonia. It is also home to the largest textile production center in the country.

We visited on a warm Saturday afternoon when most of the shops were closing up and people were relaxing in the cafes with a cold beer.

Walking over one of the bridges which accesses the city center you can see where, during the winter months, the melting snow from the surrounding mountains results in a river running through the city. There is no snow on the mountains at this time of year resulting in a dry river bed, silently waiting for the winter to quench its thirst once again.

• 

• 

• 

High on the Isar hill overlooking the city there is the ruins of an old castle and a small St John the Baptist church dating back to 1350.

• 

The Ice Cream looks delicious. The only problem is guessing what the flavours are!

• јагода = strawberry
• орео = oreo
• цреша = cherry
• јаболко = apple