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10 things to do in Ohrid

The cozy town of Ohrid, Macedonia, situated at the lake of Ohrid, is "two in one". It is a historical town packed with magnificent churches and old houses and simultaneously a relaxed resort. We spent only one day in Ohrid, and it was a pity that we could not stay for longer – this place has much more to offer.

Ohrid old city
Old City

1. Lose yourselves in the maze of narrow and winding streets of the Old City. Get to the top to the ruins of old fortress, take a view on the city below you.

St Sofia
Wall paintings in St.Sofia church

2. Explore numerous churches. As a bare minimum, the ones worth visiting are St.Sofia with impressive wall paintings, picturesque St John from Kaneo (at the top photo), and сolossal Plaosnik complex with the ancient university and archaeological excavations of Byzantine mosaics. We visited Macedonia on Easter week: in the evening the locals went to the churches to pray and light candles, and the sounds of religious hymns filled the streets – it was magical!    

Pine forest
Pine forest

3. Breath clean, intoxicating air in the pine forest which surrounds Plaosnik.

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The waterfront of Ohrid lake

4. Stroll slowly along the waterfront, enjoying the rays of the sun on your face. Stare at the stars at nights – they are surprising bright here.

Svaty Naum
Svaty Naum monastery

5. Early in the morning, drive to Svaty Naum monastery, located close to the border with Albania.

Oh, really?!
Visit the monastery and the small churches around it, watch numerous (and apparently dangerous!) peacocks wandering in the park, take a romantic boat ride, buy souvenirs on local bazaar.

берег костей
The Bay of Bones

6. On the way from the monastery, pay a visit to the Museum on Water – Bay of Bones, a prehistoric settlement of pile dwellers from 12-6 century BC.

7. Take a boat trip on the lake. Choose a small boat or a luxurious yacht. You may also get to Sv.Naum and the Bay of Bones by boat, in a round trip that takes half a day.

trout
Ohrid trout

8. Order a local specialty – "pastramka" (trout) – for lunch. They grill it with herbs, spices and olive oil. Combine with Macedonian salad (grilled bell peppers, tomatoes and onion) or "makalo" (garlic dip).

9. Buy local crafts – jewelry with pearls or a filigree decoration.

Zodiac bridge

10. Feel yourselves like a real tourist – make a wish on the Zodiak bridge while touching your sign. Drop a coin to the lake hoping to come back to this beautiful place. 

16 Comments

  1. Lovely. I have heard such good things about Macedonia. I hope to visit it next year. I know for sure l would love the food! :-).

  2. I'll be honest, I'd never heard of Ohrid but it looks spectacular. I'll be adding this one to the list 

  3. I cant believe I missed Ohrid out when I explored FYR Macedonia all those years ago. I must go back and check it out. Great post and loving the photos

  4. It is always amazing to hear religious hymns from other cultures. Like you said, it is magical. 

  5. I like the sound of the trout! I've only recently been interested in visiting Macedonia so thanks for the tips!

  6. I had never heard of Ohrid before reading this but now I totally wanna go! Beautiful!

  7. Thanks for sharing, never heard of this place, but now I will put Ohrid on my bucketlist!

  8. Such a quaint and quiet little town. The pictures of the streets and buildings have piqued my interest. Macedonia is on my wish list. The Zodiac bridge is interesting.

  9. Lovel Elena. I have been meaning to visit Ohrid for a long long time. I hope to find the time this year! The fresh trout looks lovely as well, Would love to camp in the pine forest too! 🙂

    • Elena Nemets

      This pine forest is too small for camping, I think, it is in the middle of the town as well. But I think there are a lot of great camping sites at the shores of Ohrid lake.

  10. The pictures show that Ohrid is truly an awesome destination! Macedonia really abounds in natural attractions and beautiful landscapes, Elena!

  11. I hadn't heard of Ohrid before but it looks like my kind of place – small, historic, beautiful and quiet. Just gorgeous. The old pile settlement looks so interesting. Reminds me of the stilted house settlements of Indonesia. What a great snapshot.

    • Elena Nemets

      Thanks! It is usually quiet, but we were there on Easter week, when a lot of Macedonians travel there for a holiday. Still, even in this time it was charming!

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