Bitola, Historical trade center in southwestern North Macedonia
Bitola sits in the Pelagonia valley at 576 meters elevation, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges in southwestern North Macedonia. The settlement spreads over several kilometers through the flat basin with an older core of low buildings and newer districts at the edges.
Philip II of Macedon founded Heraclea Lyncestis in the 4th century BC, which later became a stopover on the Via Egnatia. The present settlement emerged in the early Middle Ages under Slavic influence and evolved over centuries as a trade hub.
The annual Manaki film festival turns several venues across town into screening rooms for documentary and fiction productions from the Balkans. The event recalls two brothers who worked as the peninsula's first cameramen at the beginning of the 20th century.
The center sits just 14 kilometers from the Greek border at the Medžitlija-Níki crossing, making day trips to Greece easy to arrange. Most sights lie within walking distance in the older core, while newer districts connect through local bus routes.
The name derives from an Old Church Slavonic word for monastery, as the valley was once home to numerous religious communities. Remains of Roman porticos and theaters still lie open to the sky at the nearby archaeological site.
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