‘The air tastes like burnt plastic’: Skopje’s chronic pollution problem

Skopje is home to three of the most polluted districts in Europe, Guardian analysis has found Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images

The hills that circle Skopje keep citizens safe when smog grows thick, but they also trap the toxins that make its air among the most menacing of any city in Europe.

The mountains are the only escape, says Katarina, a 33-year-old accountant, as she walks home from an evening hike. “I was wearing a mask for air pollution before Covid.”