Štip

Understand

Štip is a very pleasant city that gets fewer tourists than the west, which makes the people nicer and more willing to help than the people in the western part of the country.

Smoking is prohibited in all nightclubs and bars (kafanas). Cigarettes and alcohol can be sold to individuals aged 18 and over.

As in all other cities in North Macedonia, if you are not a Macedonian citizen, you must check in with the local police station when you arrive and leave.

Get around

The best ways to get around are by foot or by taxi, though there is a municipal bus fleet which connects the center with the outlying of Babi, Senjak, Prebeg, Makedonka, Kezhovica, etc.

See

thumb|300px|The Museum of Štip displays objects inside and out thumb|300px|Saint Nicholas, the cathedral church of the Bregalnica Diocese thumb|300px|The Bezisten of Štip thumb|300px|The medieval Church of Saint Michael sits above the city Štip offers a variety of sights to see including fortress ruins, medieval churches, Ottoman monuments, Jewish sites, and museums plus more in the immediate surrounding area.

Buy

Vanco Prkje Street is a pedestrian street in Štip lined by shops and restaurants.

Eat

thumb|300px|Pastrmajlija Štip is known throughout North Macedonia for the local dish called Pastrmajlija. It is a pizza-like crust, in a long canoe shape topped with chicken or pork meat, eaten with hot pepper or pepper flakes on top. It is available at nearly every restaurant in Štip, and at the annual Pastremajlija festival in late September.

There are many great restaurants that serve traditional Macedonian food, as well as many Pizza-restaurants (Italian style, as opposed to American Pizza-parlors). Every restaurant is famous for some specific dish, so try to order that one in particular.

Drink

There are dozens upon dozens of bistros/bars aka kafani all over the city, on every corner. They serve all types of alcohol at a cheap price and food with it as well. Drinking coffee is a social event which often lasts for hours, with very little coffee or alcohol actually consumed. It is not considered rude to sit a table and order very little for several hours, as it would be in many western cities.

As with the rest of North Macedonia, being intoxicated in public is frowned upon.

Sleep

All hotels could probably be classified as 3 stars, though there is no official rating system. Oaza and Garni are right in the center, while Izgrev is about 10 minute drive from the center (or 30 min walk). Garni is a boutique hotel with few rooms, but held to high standards.

Stay safe

Štip is probably one of the safest cities in North Macedonia, and definitely much safer than all the major cities in the western and central part. Violent crime and murders are almost non-existent, and property crimes are very rare. Foreigners are welcomed and looked upon as a curiosity as Štip is not advertised or developed as a tourist destination, despite having a lot to offer.

There are several night clubs in Štip, and they are all much safer than any western counterpart (no metal detectors anywhere). Keeping a low profile is recommended as not to tempt the local macho mentality. Aggressive courting of girls is not recommended as this can be seen as encroachment and cause physical conflict.

The Roma (Gypsy) population of Štip is mostly living far below the overall poverty level, and although their shanty towns (spread around several areas of the city, mostly in the north) are very picturesque and exotic for the tourist to behold, avoid giving them gifts or money, as that will make you a target for more panhandling and possibly a (non-violent) property crime. Do not be fooled by the looks of the Roma children beggars, for most of them that is their full-time job, and no one is dying of hunger or cold in Štip.

The police is sometimes helpful if approached politely, but beware that the socialist heritage where the police was very brutal and was mostly used to keep an eye on the population, instead of maintaining law and order, is still very much alive. Ask a younger perso…

Go next

Skopje (NW 50 km) Veles (W 30 km)