It's hardly a surprise that this North Macedonian outpost is named for the Slavic god of the forest and the land. The town is nestled in a deep bowl of limestone mountains on the side of the Vardar River, encompassed by green pine woods, grassy pastures, and sculpted ridges that are always there to remind visitors just how close the Balkan outback really is.

Veles developed as an industrial town after the second World War, but still provides a welcoming break from the bustle of Skopje. Here, you can wander it’s Old Town, a maze of cobbled lanes and riverside paths past dumpling taverns and pubs, all while the old stone Clock Tower spikes overhead. For sightseeing, most Veles tour guides will whisk you up the hillside to the shrine of St Pantelejmon. Spread out on a plinth on the mountain, it's strewn with mystical Orthodox icons and topped with beautiful vaulted domes.

When it's time to get exploring, Veles obliges with all sorts of highland paths, a haven for mountain biking, mountaineering, and alpine pursuits that go deep into the valleys around the Solunska Glava to the west. The archaeological ruins of Stobi on the left banks of the Crna Reka hark back to 197 BC as a flourishing ancient Roman city, and are worth exploring as well.