Ohrid is the reason to visit Macedonia.
The town is located on the shores of the aptly named Lake Ohrid and has a wonderful mix of natural beauty and historical monuments to keep you occupied for a few days.
I took the 3.5 hour bus to Ohrid after visiting Skopje of which there are several buses that run throughout the day. Upon checking in to Sunny Lake Hostel, run by the very friendly Gyoko, I instantly felt at home as the place is another reminder of the famous Balkan hospitality. In a lot of ways, you feel that he is running this place as if he was just having a constant stream of his friends over as he offers guests beers, tips on where to go and free use of the bikes despite the sign above reception suggesting they cost €5 per day.
On my first day, I followed a walking route that Gyoko recommended which took in the main sites of the town. I started by making the short but relatively steep walk to King Samoil’s Fortress which, like most fortresses, offers brilliant views of the surrounding area. The beauty here though is further exemplified due to the gorgeous lake and surrounding mountains.
The route then follows through the Old Town Park to the Early Christian Basilica and Saint Pantelejamon – the site of the oldest university in Europe and birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet. The area has changed between having churches and mosques built depending on the ruler of the time and they are currently reconstructing a church in the area.
The highlight, however, of my walk was just around the corner as I came across the Church of Saint John the Theologian. The small church is stunningly built on a cliff overlooking the lake and is certainly one of the most scenic locations for a church that I have come across during my travels in the Balkans. It was the perfect spot to sit down and people watch as I admired the full beauty of the lake and cliffs.
The rest of my walk passed through some small sandy beaches and a couple of other significant churches – the Saint Sophia and the Saint Bogorodica Perivlepta before taking me back to the main boulevards which are lined with restaurants, boutique shops and cafes. My favourite spot was the small family run business of Dr Falafel whose menu of falafel, hummus, or falafel and hummus is simple but incredibly tasty and a rare vegetarian option.
On my second day, I made use of Gyoko’s generosity and took a bike out to ride around the lake. Not having much of an itinerary in mind, I rode west along the lake’s banks and within a kilometre, I was outside the built-up areas of the town and could enjoy the peaceful scenery. There wasn’t much in the way of sites or churches to see, however, I found an abandoned beach and enjoyed a couple of peaceful hours reading a book while staring out onto Lake Ohrid.
As I checked out the next day, Gyoko’s hospitality didn’t end as he walked me to the shared taxi stand, 15 minutes away from the hostel and negotiated a fair price for me to get to Struga, where I was catching my bus to Tirana.
Most of my time in Ohrid was unfortunately met with rain and chilly weather, however, despite this, the beauty of the town was undeniable and I can’t wait to visit again so I can experience it in all its glory on a warm sunny day.
Article By Michael Rozenblit
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