With picturesque villages, a wine region, modest mountains, lovely lakeside resorts, Macedonia is rich in history, gorgeous scenery, a favorable exchange rate, and welcoming people. MIX OF NEW AND OLD - New monumental buildings line the roaring Vardar River crossed by the historic Stone Bridge which links modern shopping malls to the bustling Old Town.PEOPLE are warm, accommodating, helpful. Macedonian is the official language, but almost everyone speaks at least rudimentary English. You can also get by with German, Italian, Albanian, Bulgarian and Serb.OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES - Varying with the season, there are opportunities for swimming, kayaking, skiing, rock climbing, caving, fishing, scuba diving, paragliding, biking, horseback trekking. For the last several years thecity centrehas seen a major transformation and now one can spend an entire day and still not manage to see everything. From theTriumphal Gate(pictured) to the giant statue ofAlexander the Great, the numerousmuseumssurrounding the area and theold stone bridge, the cultural offering is simply immense. The area is buzzing with nightlife as well, with many of the city's most attractive bars, coffee shops and restaurants beeing located on the Makedonija street. Shopoholics will have their hands full as well as there are plenty of shops to choose from with two of the biggest shopping malls within a 5 minute walk. Sites: Ohrid, a pretty town located on the shores of Lake Ohrid.Lake Ohrid is snugly tucked in between Macedonia and Albania, but the Macedonian side is the more developed of the two. The region is also a UNESCO site.