Skopje’s largest swimming pool, the Karpos pool, has been closed, ostensibly because of issues with its heating system.

Swimming clubs that operate there say that the real reason for the closure is the high cost of central heating and electricity, as Macedonia in the midst of a major energy crisis. The pool, which operates as part of the Boris Trajkovski sports center, was recently thoroughly renovated. Management acknowledges that the electricity bills have quadrupled but insists that this was not the reason why the pool is closed.