Tetovo is a major city in the Polog plain in north-western Macedonia. Tetovo is seat of Tetovo municipality.

According to the 2002 census, Tetovo had a population of 52,915. Tetovo is situated in the upper part of the Polog plain, on the both banks of the Pena river, at an altitude of 468 meters above the sea level. The E-65 international motorway passes by Tetovo, and connects Tetovo with Gostivar (24 km on south), with Skopje (41 km on east) and on north with Pristina (80 km on north-east).

Tetovo is also a major economic, industrial and commercial centre. The comparative advantages of the Polog valley have been well used for the development of agriculture, especially market-gardening and fruit growing. In recent years, Tetovo has become a center of private businesses and trade. During the military conflict in 2001, the Tetovo economy has totally fall apart. Over the past few years after the de-centralization process it has stand on its feets. The most known industrial products that the Tetovo region is represented in the home and international markets are: wood products (quality furniture), metal-plastics and building materials. Tetovo is a seat of many cultural institutions, like: house of the culture “Iljo Antevski – Smok”, as well as host of the: Folk Festival of Tetovo.

Climate & When to come in Tetovo

Tetovo is located at the foot of the Sar Mountain, which also boast Popova Sapka, one of the most famous Macedonian ski resorts. In spite of that, Tetovo has a relatively mild winter compared to the rest of the Balkans and it is often visited as a stop on the road to the mountains. Still, spring is definitely the most pleasant season for visits. Tetovo experiences a continental climate, with warm summers and cool winters.

Tetovo tourist attractions

• Dervish Arabat Baba or Sersem Ali Baba Teke – On the road out of Tetovo on the way to Gostivar, under the Shar Mountain, there is the Dervish Arabat Baba or Sersem Ali Baba Teke. Arabati Baba Teke was built in the second half of the 18th Century by Redzep Pasha and his son Abdurahman Pasha, who were also involved in the construction of the Painted Mosque in Tetovo and the Tetovo Fortress. There is also a theory that says that Sersem Ali Baba was the one who began the construction of The Teke. The Arabati Teke is a complex of religious objects around the grave of Sersem Ali Baba, a dervish who belonged to the Bekteshi Order. Some of these religious objects that still exist today are: “sadrvan”, “bogomolja”, “turbe”, the tower, the drinking fountain, the kitchen and the dining room, the guest bedroom, “dervishane” and “haremlak”. The Arabati Baba Teke was abandoned in 1945 and is now used as a museum. The Bekteshes lived in the Teke for 120 years. They learned the secrets of their cult, one of the most significant among over 20 known Dervish cults. The Dervishes are known for their particularly cherished cult towards the late “babas” and “shehs”. Once a year, in memory of the Imam Hussein and his family that was slaughtered in Kerberi, Syria, the Dervishes have their religious service. The service includes a prayer with rhythmical music and movement, during which they mention God, sway from the left to the right, back and forth and fall into a mystical trance. At the end they poke themselves with needles and other sharp objects all over their bodies. The active Dervish life in the Teke existed until 1912. In 1914 it was reintroduced and lasted until 1945, when the Teke was completely deserted.
• BALTEPE FORTRESS A testament to the Ottoman past offering panoramic views of Tetovo and its environs. On a hill above Tetovo, some 3-4 km from the downtown, with a spectacular view of the Polog plain. 1.26 km NW from main square
• ETHNO MUSEUM, village Dzepciste, 1212 Tetovo phone +389 (0)70 555 165 visiting Ethno museum 10:00 – 18:00 The smallest Ethno-museum in the world. 5 km from Tetovo, in the house of the collector Simeon Zlatev-Mone. The museum has a fund of 1,150 items. Due to the limited space, the museum can host only one visitor. The largest part of the displayed materials date from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, but there are also fragments of ceramic items, which are 5,000-8,000 years old. 3.37 km NE from Tetovo center
• LESOK MONASTERY The Monastery of Lesok (Leshok/Lešok) with the churches of St. Atanasius and of the Holy Mother of God (Holy Virgin), from the 14th century, is situated 8 km from Tetovo. The oldest information about Lesok monastery comes from the first half of the 14th Century, 1326. The Lesok church is in the shape of a triconhos. There are three layers of frescoes on the walls from different periods. The bottom layer is from the time of the construction of the church, the second one is from the 17th century and the last layer is from 1879. The Lesok church is dedicated to Saint Atanasie and was built by a monk Joanakie, later the first bishop of Dolen Polog, during the foundation of the first Polog eparchy, between 1348-1355. The Lesok monastery with the church of Sveta Bogorodica (Holy Mother), were renovated and converted into monastery in the early 19th century by Kiril Pejcinovic. Before the 17th century the Lesok monastery was restored by the bishop of Polog, Nikanor. Around 1698 the Lesok monastery was seriously damaged in a severe storm. The waters from the mountains flooded the Lesok monastery, and the monks abandoned it. Since then, and all the way to 1927, the Lesok monastery was in ruins. The Lesok monastery’s conchs were built with the arrival of the famous Macedonian educator Kiril Pejcinovic in 1818. In honor of the educator Kiril Pejcinovic, who is buried in its yard, this monastery hosts an International Meeting of Literary Translators. The Lesok monastery, Saint Atanasius was bombed by Albanian rebels in the 2001 Macedonia conflict, but has since been rebuilt. 7.91 km NE from Tetovo center
• PAINTED MOSQUE The Painted mosque was made in 1459 on the foundation of an older edifice. An example of early Constantinople style, this mosque is adorned with an elaborate painted façade and interior, making it unique in Macedonia. It is located by the Pena River. In the tomb next to the mosque is the body of the two women who provided money for the mosque to be built in 1459. 0.58 km SSW from main square / Tetovo
• POPOVA SAPKA SKI RESORT Popova Sapka is the ski resort on Mt. Shar, which can be found at an altitude of 1,704 meters. Situated 18 km from Tetovo, high on the Sar Mountain – the third largest mountain in the country. It’s one of the most famous winter-recreational and ski resorts in Macedonia. The ski slopes on Popova Sapka are first class, with a total lenght of 10 km. They are connected by 6 ski-lifts and 3 chair-lifts. The total capacity is 8,000 skiers per hour. On average, the snow on Popova Sapka lasts for 135 days. For more detailed info, please go to Popova Sapka.
• SAINTS CYRIL AND METHODIUS CHURCH Saints Cyril & Methodius church is located in the old town of Tetovo, it is one of the most beautiful orthodox temple in Pollog valley. It was built in the Two Elm Trees district, which is in the old part of the town. This is a three-nave basilica with a single dome and a cruciform basis. The fresco painting on the walls was done by painter Danilo Nestorovski in 1924. The building has started in 1903, finished in 1918 and blessed on June 12th 1925. 0.46 km NW from main square / Tetovo
• TURKISH AMAM The bath (amam) built in the 15th centry. It covers a surface of 335m2. In 1962 it was transformed into an art gallery and in 1984 it was declared cultural heritage. 0.5 km SSW from main square / Tetovo Cultural-historical heritage