EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail - part North Macedonia: which way and when to ride
The best month for EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail - part North Macedonia is October: 82% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.3 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12% | 19% | 70 | 5 °C | 0% | 86% | 9.5 † |
| February | 32% | 20% | 55 | 8 °C | 0% | 63% | 10.5 † |
| March | 54% | 27% | 82 | 12 °C | 0% | 33% | 11.8 |
| April | 70% | 27% | 70 | 17 °C | 0% | 7% | 13.3 |
| May | 69% | 30% | 80 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 14.5 |
| June | 52% | 33% | 67 | 26 °C | 19% | 0% | 15.2 |
| July | 44% | 16% | 37 | 29 °C | 43% | 0% | 14.9 |
| August | 43% | 15% | 40 | 29 °C | 44% | 0% | 13.8 |
| September | 74% | 18% | 48 | 24 °C | 8% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 82% | 16% | 71 | 18 °C | 0% | 4% | 11.0 |
| November | 59% | 20% | 78 | 12 °C | 0% | 27% | 9.8 † |
| December | 16% | 20% | 77 | 7 °C | 0% | 80% | 9.2 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Delchevo → Novo Selo, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Delchevo → Novo Selo | Headwind > 15 km/h, Novo Selo → Delchevo | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.4 | 0% | 1% | either |
| February | +0.6 | 0% | 2% | either |
| March | +0.6 | 1% | 3% | either |
| April | +0.3 | 1% | 2% | either |
| May | +0.3 | 1% | 1% | either |
| June | +1.8 | 0% | 1% | either |
| July | +2.4 | 0% | 1% | Delchevo → Novo Selo |
| August | +1.4 | 0% | 0% | either |
| September | +0.7 | 0% | 1% | either |
| October | +0.3 | 0% | 0% | either |
| November | −0.3 | 0% | 0% | either |
| December | +1.4 | 0% | 1% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | S | +0.8 |
| 25–50 | S | +0.3 |
| 50–75 | S | −0.4 |
| 75–101 | S | −0.2 |
| 101–125 | E | +1.3 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.