Why Travel to Ohrid, North Macedonia?

The Old Town

The city of Ohrid (pronounced okrid), sits at the edge of Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia, both of which are recognized as UNESCO heritage sites. For the tourists, Ohrid has a long promenade, wide bicycle lanes, shopping, and restaurants. Ohrid has many historical and archeological sites to visit as well as adventurous activities and relaxing play.

Strolling the old town of Ohrid is a journey for the senses. The stone architectural elements display the rich ruling histories by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Serbians, and Ottomans. The city has been restored to incorporate the ancient churches with wonderful cafes, wine tasting, entertainment, and historical jewelry shops.

Churches

Whether you are practicing your religion or looking at architecture, there are plenty of churches in Ohrid. In about the 5th–6th centuries, Ohrid was a center of early Christianity. The country once had “A Church for Everyday (365)”.

Promenade

Beside the beautiful lake lies a lengthy promenade walkway. Strolling this path in the morning is peaceful. Rambling in the summer afternoon may be hot, but you can always jump in the water. Wandering the promenade in the evening as the sun sinks behind the mountains begs one to stop at the cafes and restaurants along the way.

Boating

On the Macedonian side of Lake Ohrid visitors can rent small boats, SUPs, and kayaks to play in the water. Fishermen can be seen casting from the shores or going out in boats with the early morning light. Pontoon boats will take groups of visitors to see historical and archeological significant sites around the lake. Larger boats provide sunset cruises. A small red submarine gives visitors the underwater tours of the lake. Along with popular boating on the lake, visitors should know that warnings have been given to both Albania and North Macedonia by the UNESCO council to work harder at maintaining the ecology and history of the precious lake.

Swimming

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world and the deepest in the Balkans. It’s clean with calm water most of the time but can have white caps in stormy weather. Fed by small, freshwater springs dripping down the mountains, the temperature can be comfortably cool in the summer and refreshingly chilly other times of year. There are small beaches with inexpensive chair rentals available all along the city of Ohrid. No chair? No problem. Locals and tourists swim right off the promenade, then relax in the neighboring grass.

Samuel’s Fortress

Standing 100 meters above the UNESCO listed Lake Ohrid, the first mention of this medieval stronghold was 209BC. Visible here are bits of walls, towers, and gates dating before the 11th century of Tzar Samuel’s rule, but the fortress was destroyed and rebuilt many times as control of the hilltop was taken by the Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, and Ottomans. Today, visitors can walk up the steep stairs to gain a photographic vantage point of the city and lake below. On a clear day the views from the fortress wall are stunning. There is an archeological site within the fortress, which is not currently accessible, but a good imagination can tell many stories of yesteryear.

Paragliding

Though the landscape is not quite as dramatic as Switzerland, paragliding above Lake Ohrid and the Galicica National Park is a unique experience for the adventurous. The tandem pilots provide detailed tours from the road and the sky as they share their city and region with visitors. Advertisements for paragliding are posted all over town and websites give more details, so tourists have plenty of choice when tailoring their touring experience.

Two-wheel Rentals

All around town, visitors will also see bicycles, stand on scooters, and sit upon motor scooters for rent. Ohrid has many red-painted designated bike lanes alongside the roads and sidewalks making it easier and safer to travel around on two-wheels. To avoid the one-way streets and traffic congestion, you may even see locals drive on the sidewalk for a few minutes, but it’s not recommended for tourists.

Wineries and wine tastings

The climate in Ohrid is quite good for growing certain varieties of flowers, produce, and grapes. You can find wine-tasting stores in the old town, or you can hire a taxi to drive you to S & S Winery about 15 minutes outside of town. This third-generation small-batch winery is owned by two brothers who welcome guests for food and alcohol pairings among the vines or in the picnic area. They proudly share their award-winning white, red, and rose wines along with specialized brandies and liquors. Producing about 10,000 bottles per year, patrons can choose pairings that range from 1 hour to 5 hours in length.

Entertainment

For much of the year it seems there isn’t a dull weekend in Ohrid. Visitors can enjoy cultural entertainment and live music. Summertime is a plethora of fun because events happen in the city on a regular basis including the International Folk Festival.

Parks and wildlife

Holland Park is a green space between the lake and the town. Benches and wooden lounges allow for social and relaxing places. It has a great playground for children to play. There is an outdoor gym for adults to play. Fun wildlife can be observed all around the city including fish, ducks, birds, turtles, and lizards.

Food

With Mediterranean and Balken influences for hundreds of years, Macedonian food is freshly made to order, simply seasoned, and comforting. Parallel to the promenade is a street with about 20 wooden kiosk booths selling street food. Each evening the booths open to the public with aromas of BBQ corn, crepes, waffles, ice cream, and tacos filling the nose of passerby.

Archeological remnants

Wandering around town in a purposeful or random manner and you will find delightful fragments of history. Some have been restored and maintained, while others have not. Some have an entrance fee, others do not. Stroll around these sites and others.

• Early Christian Basilica of Manchevci

• Plaosnik

• Bay of Bones

• Ancient Theatre (200BC)

• St. Erasmus Cave Church (6th century)

• Church of St. John at Kanao(13th century)

• Church of St. Sophia (5th century)

We had plenty of fun in Ohrid during our 10-day visit and hope to return to North Macedonia again. It was a hidden gem of history, culture, and tasty treats. There are mobility friendly parts of town as well as forest trails, cobblestone hills, and plenty of steps. This country was a great place to visit!