The first Wizz Air flight from Skopje landed at Malta International Airport earlier today, establishing another bridge with the Balkan peninsula. Flights to the Macedonian capital will be taking off from the airport every Monday and Friday.

Located at the foot of Mount Vodno, Skopje is home to around half a million inhabitants. While a number of hiking trails lead up to the mount's peak, from where Skopje can be enjoyed from a different angle, less adventurous holidaymakers can easily get to the top via cable car.

A visit to the old town - Čaršija - transports one back to Skopje's Ottoman and Byzantine eras. These old quarters, in fact, house most of Skopje's museums and historic buildings such as the imposing Tvridna Kale Fortress, the Stone Bridge, and the Mustafa Pasha Mosque.

Skopje is one of five new routes at Malta International Airport for 2017, the others being Katowice  (Poland), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Bordeaux (France), and Tel Aviv (Israel).

As is customary, passengers on board the first flight from Skopje were welcomed with a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of this direct link with Macedonia.