Sitting inside a concrete brutalist structure – awful to some, fascinating to others – the museum's solid historical and ethnological displays are housed in a sorry state. The museum hosts North Macedonia's biggest ethnographic collection; the display of traditional architecture and the room stuffed with original wood-carved iconostases are highlights. Take advantage of the free guides at reception, because plenty of the displays are only presented in Macedonian.

　　Note that in summer it's hot as Hades because there's no air-con. Paint is peeling off the walls and the lighting is bad – staff are waiting on a major refurbishment of the building, but have no idea when the budget will materialise. Sadly, it feels like this museum has been superseded by Skopje's over-the-top Archaeological Museum on the Vardar River.