Dušanov most

Dušan's Bridge - The most important information

Dušan's Bridge, or the Stone Bridge, as it is also called in Skopje, is a bridge over the Vardar River that connects the old and new parts of Skopje and is one of the significant buildings of Skopje itself, but also North Macedonia. The bridge is a building that suffered and was demolished during all the catastrophic earthquakes that hit Skopje, but it was also grandiose during the brightest periods of Skopje. That is why Dušan's bridge is a symbol of Skopje. And that's why this is a place you shouldn't miss when visiting Skopje.

The History of Dušan's Bridge

There are historical records that in the 6th century, a bridge was built to cross the Vardar or Axios, as the Romans called it.
Other historians claim that the bridge was built for the first time during the reign of Muhammad the Second Conqueror in 1451.
The bridge has changed its appearance throughout history. Thus, the upgrade was recorded just before, on the hill above the bridge (Kale fortress), Dušan Stefan was to be crowned as emperor.
After that, the builders of Muhammad II (1808–1839) decorated the bridge with towers, while the masons of Sultan Mehmed Reshid replaced the stone fence with an iron fence in 1909, which was demolished after the Second World War.
Preserved photographs show that the Stone Bridge was the most beautiful between the two world wars when its entrance on the right side of Vardar was decorated with glorious bronze horse riders.
The bridge has a lot of names, and the most common names are Dušan's Bridge and Stone Bridge, but in addition to that, it is also nicknamed Roman, Byzantine, Mehmed, and Sulejman.

How to get to Dušan's Bridge?

On foot: When you head from Trg Makedonija, that is, Ploštada, as it is also called as Vradar River, you come across the Stone Bridge. This bridge is directly connected to the square, so that you will find it very easily, and it only takes a few minutes to walk to it.
By car: If you are a little further from the center and the square, and you plan to come by car, we advise you to park in the largest closed garage in Skopje, which is located not far from the Macedonia Gate. And from there to the bridge you will only need 10 minutes. Otherwise, parking in the garage is charged 30 denars for the first hour, while every additional hour is charged 20 denars.
Taxi: If you want to get to Dušan's Bridge by taxi, the taxi services in Skopje are Taxi Teniks - 071/209-194 and Taxi Skopje - 071/755-252.

Additional information

Not far from the Stone Bridge, there are two more important bridges in Skopje, the Bridge of Civilization and the Bridge of Art.