写真

銑ake Ohrid�


Dedicated to everyone who regrets that North Macedonia is not located by the sea :)

However, there are three major natural lakes in Macedonia:
Ohrid, Prespa, and Dojran Lake.
All together the country has fifty three natural and artificial lakes. The three major lakes are shared with the neighbouring countries.

The respective surface areas are: Ohrid: 358 kmｲ, Prespa: 273 kmｲ and Dojran: 43,1 kmｲ.
Lake Dojran, the smallest of the three is located in the southeast of the country and is shared between North Macedonia and Greece.
Lake Prespa (also called the Great Prespa Lake) is located in the southwest at the border triangle between North Macedonia, Greece and Albania. It is divided between the three countries.
Lake Ohrid is also located in the southwest of the country on the border with Albania, with most of it belonging to North Macedonia.

Like most foreign tourists, I only visited the most famous of the three: Lake Ohrid.
For this lake, tourism is a very important source of income. Already in the former Yugoslavia, Ohrid was on the tourist map.

So, what can those sea lovers who don't have North Macedonia on their wish list, do in Ohrid?

There are of course beaches, although close to Ohrid town it are mostly pebble beaches. For the sandy beaches one has to go to the south of the lake, near Ljubanista and Sveti Naum.
Many boat trips on the lake can be made. All kinds of water sports are available, even snorkeling and diving under and around the reconstructed prehistoric huts in the Bay of Bones.
The beauty of the lake is strongly defined by the green wooded slopes around it, which are popular for hikers.

Wandering through the narrow streets of the old town built on a steep hill while admiring the tall houses towering above you, will take you to many picturesque spots.
You don't have to wait for the Ohrid Festival to already discover the numerous sights, such as the fortress from the 10th century on top of the hill, the Roman amphitheatre, the icon gallery, the many Orthodox churches (Ohrid was referred to as the Jerusalem of the Balkans), the Turkish Mesokastro area, the mosques and Turkish baths, the traditional houses, an archeological site with the foundations of a 5th-century basilica, etc.
I don稚 pretend at all to be complete in this brief overview.
Outside Ohrid town the most visited place is the Sveti Naum Monastery which is very close to the border with Albania.

Information from different sites on Wikipedia.

My only advice for those wanting to stay in Ohrid town is to read the reviews of previous visitors about the accommodation before booking.
Not because of a lack of comfort, but most places close to the waterfront have been criticized for not being able to sleep much at night. In the old town near the waterfront it can be very busy and noisy until the early hours.
I have stayed in two different places, high on the hill. Every night it was a steep climb to my accommodation, but at least it was quiet there.

Honestly, I remember finding Ohrid too crowded compared to all the other places I visited in North Macedonia.
When I saw my photos from 2018 again after more than three years, all I saw was how beautiful and picturesque the place was�
So I値l have to select strict in my photos if I don't want to show another full month only NM-pictures� and I'm not that strong in strict selecting�

If I remember correctly, I took my main photo on the wall of the Tsar Samoil's Fortress.