What to do in Ohrid. Is Ohrid worth visiting?

In Europe, there are 469 monuments inscribed on the World List of Culture and Art and 66 on the List of Nature (numbers counted together for Europe and North America).

Only 11 monuments are on both lists. Among them is Ohrid, both the Old Town and the lake.

Is this a sufficient recommendation to look at this direction as an idea for a trip?

In this post, I will tell you why it is really worth visiting Ohrid, what to see and what to do in Ohrid.

And for more detailed descriptions of the monuments, I invite you to read a separate article soon.

Ohrid, basic information

Macedonia surprised me. With Ohrid, I fell in love.

Even though I kind of knew what to expect, Balkan vibes, due to the fact that I am a Croatian and Serbian philologist, are no strangers to me.

However, there is something special about Ohrid that is difficult to describe. The views, the history, the atmosphere.

Many people drop by Ohrid for a day, driving somewhere along the way or on a day trip from Albania. Nevertheless, I recommend spending more time in this place. So that you have time to walk around the streets and promenade by the Kaneo church at sunset. Only then you can fully feel the atmosphere of Ohrid.

Ohrid is a city in North Macedonia, with about 40,000 inhabitants. The eighth largest city in the country and the largest on Lake Ohrid. It is located 700 metres above sea level, surrounded by mountains, which can affect the weather.

Tourist life is concentrated on the beaches and in the Old Town. It is also worth going to other towns on the lake.

Ohrid, what to do? What to see in Ohrid?

Kaneo and walks

The most famous postcard picture from Lake Ohrid, and probably all of Macedonia, is the view of the church of St. Jana in Kaneo with the lake in the background. How does it look live? Even better!

It is a must-see, and it is best to go there several times at different times of the day.

It’s a good place to watch the sunset, and the view in this evening light is even better. At the top, above the church, there is a promenade leading through the forest to the lake itself. A very pleasant place for a walk.

Just getting to Kaneo from the city centre is a beautiful attraction, and you can use several roads:

• The old town and the promenade ‘at the top’

It is worth going up the hill, if not for the streets themselves, then for the view of the red roofs and the glittering surface of the lake.

• Through the old town and through the forest, past the archaeological site of Plaošnik

• By boat

There are many boats in the port, that will take you to the beach near the church (from there, stairs lead to the church). It is not an expensive or long cruise, just a few minutes. Worth it for the view of the city from the water.

The boat can be used only one way or both ways.

• Via beach

Lovely walk. You go first along a long wooden pier, then along the beach. This is a fishing district; you pass boats and small piers.

Along the way, you can stop at two good restaurants.

All described routes have one thing in common. Beautiful views just from different perspectives – I recommend checking out each of these routes!

Stroll through the stone streets

It’s worth just walking around calmly to soak up the atmosphere and have time to take pictures. Neat, clean, houses built in a similar style. A lot of greenery and colourful flowers.

It’s a paradise for lovers of older and cute cars.

You will surely notice the characteristic architecture of the houses, in the Turkish style, with the protruding first floor. To make use of the space, some houses were built above the narrow streets, and in some places, this created tunnels.

Walk along the promenade by the lake

A beautiful walk awaits you also when you go ‘the other way’ from the port to Kaneo. You can walk along the promenade to the outskirts of the city. Benches, trees, flowers, on the way you pass hotels and apartments, a bridge, and a playground. After the season, it was clear that this is a place where residents spend their time.

Shopping street and Turkish bazaar

Definitely the last thing I would recommend while travelling is going to the shops and shopping. However, the main shopping street in Ohrid is worth walking ‘to the end’ and it’s a must-do in Ohrid. This is the Turkish Bazaar, with shops, traditional restaurants, and minarets. The bazaar is quite small, but it is a very interesting place.

Ohrid pearls

Actually, this is one thing that needs to be mentioned in the context of shopping. Pearls! Which are one of a kind. How are Ohrid pearls made?

The Ohrid pearl is made of ground shells, which are covered with layers of emulsion derived from the scales of the Plaszica fish (the fish is an endemic species – characteristic of Lake Ohrid). Anyway, we do not know the details of the production. This is the secret of two families that produce pearls from generation to generation: the Talev and Filev families.

So, look for pearl shops of both families. Watch out for the pearls they sell in other shops or bazaars. Unfortunately, there is a chance that these are Chinese ‘pearls’, so always ask for a certificate.

Food Market in Ohrid

The Turkish bazaar ends with a market. Even if you don’t need to buy anything at the moment, you need to see it in Ohrid, so go inside the food section. These are mainly fruit and vegetable stalls, we will also find points with honey, cheese, or homemade pastries such as burek. Visitors are greeted by loud music and juicy colours of fruit and vegetables. Especially if you visit Macedonia in August or September – it’s the time of peppers and preparing ajvar. Colourful paprika stands make an amazing impression.

Stop for a coffee break

Much can be written about the culture of coffee drinking in the Balkans. And it’s all about the coffee drinking atmosphere, not the amount of coffee consumed. Although, according to recent rankings (e.g., Euromonitor) Macedonia is ranked 17th in the world in terms of quantity – 3.6 kg per capita per year. Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia are even higher.

So it’s obvious that you need to find time for a calm cup of coffee. And preferably for a few coffees, one with a view of the lake and one in a restaurant at the Turkish bazaar. Then it’s worth trying Turkish coffee.

Paper Factory

What else can you do in Ohrid? The paper factory – to be precise, the National Handmade Paper Workshop, is located in the very centre. According to the leaflets, it is one of the few in the world that still uses the method from the 2nd century BC. Entrance is free, although usually everyone who watches the papermaking show, leaves with a purchased picture 🙂

Museum

The history of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Museum dates back to the 16th century, and it has been operating in its current form since 1973. The museum manages several facilities and exhibitions, and some of them (such as the House of Hristo Uzunov or the Robev Family) are located in the centre, very close to the port and paper factory.

You can read about the details and exhibitions on their website.

Boat trip on Lake Ohrid

From the port of Ohrid you can go on a shorter or longer trip, by a smaller or larger boat. It depends on your preferences and on the weather and wind, because small boats can’t always sail. In both cases, it is usually a similar route. They stop at the Museum on the Water and the Monastery of St. Neum. It is best to ask for details directly at the port.

It is a ‘typical tourist attraction’, regardless, it’s absolutely worth going. Even for the views alone, the city and the entire coast look beautiful from the water.

Trpejca

Lake Ohrid is not just Ohrid town itself. If you have limited time to visit all the places around, then (apart from the boat trip to the monastery), I suggest you take a look at the village of Trpejca. A quiet fishing village with a few restaurants on the beach, turquoise water from a distance, and almost transparent water up close. Is it a sea or a lake?

Monuments

It’s already over 1000 words of descriptions of attractions in Ohrid and the most important monuments are still ahead of us!

Ancient theatre, churches, fortress, archaeological sites. While in Ohrid, be sure to plan time to visit the sights. You will find many of them, at short distances from each other, so sightseeing is extremely pleasant. Which monuments exactly should you visit in Ohrid? I will describe all of them soon in my next post.

Do you want to know How to get to Ohrid and where to stay there? I answer this here!

Ohrid is a place with history and monuments inscribed on the UNESCO list. It has amazing views and a special atmosphere. On the one hand, it is very Balkan, on the other hand, sometimes you can feel like you are on the Italian or French Riviera. This is a unique place worth experiencing. Visit, eat, and walk. Be amazed.

A little bit more about North Macedonia here!