Ohrid

Introduction

Ohrid is a small town on the shores of Lake Ohrid in the east of Macedonia. It is one of the most popular places of the country and a true highlight to spend some days.

Sights and Activities

The natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region is placed on the Unesco World Heritage List. It is probably the most visited town and region in Macedonia and its lakeside location only adds to the charm of this historical place. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid and is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe, mainly built mainly between the 7th and 19th centuries. The town is dotted with many churches, including the St. Sophia Church, St. Bogorodica Perivlepta and St. Jovan Kaneo church. Further south along the lake is St. Naum monastery. An antic theatre and fortifications are also places to visit and just walking around the town and the old bazaar is a very pleasant way of spending the day.

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Ohrid airport is open year-round but most airlines only fly during the summer, so check with your travel agent or airline for most current information. It is a very small airport and it sees at most a few flights per day. There are two food options at the airport: one cafe in the parking lot and one sandwich shop at the gates. Both are overpriced. edit

Flights are operated between Ohrid and several European cities including Amsterdam, Basel/Mulhouse, Belgrade, Brussels, Eindhoven, London, Sofia, and Zurich, as well as Tel Aviv in Israel.

By Bus

The easiest way to get to Ohrid is from Skopje, where buses run every few hours. A bus from Skopje takes about 3.5 hours and costs 520 MKD one way or about 750 MKD RT. In the summer, travelers to Skopje might want to buy a ticket a day or two in advance.

There is a regular bus service from Bitola.

Frequent local buses and shared taxis to Struga. Both should cost 100 MKD.

From Albania, there is a bus line from Vlore (passing Durres and Tirana). Departure time from Ohrid to Albania: 04:30 and 05:40 am.

It's a little bit trickier to get to Ohrid from Greece. From Thessaloniki, the easiest way is to take a train to Skopje and then hop on a bus to Ohrid.

If you want to reach Ohrid and Macedonia from Montenegro there is an overnight bus (operates only on Sundays) from Herceg Novi to Skopje via Albania, passing through Kotor, Budva, Bar and Ulcinj. Ticket price vary from place in Montenegro and most expensive is from Herceg Novi and cost around €25.

By Boat

There is a daily boat to Pogradec in Albania, leaving Ohrid at 10:00.

Getting Around

By Car

Transport in Ohrid is inexpensive and covers all areas of the city. Taxi drivers may try charge tourists higher rates, so insist on a set price.

By Boat

Daily boat trips to St Naum Monastery and a few interim beaches. It leaves Ohrid's main harbour at 10:00 and at 15:30 from St. Naum Monastery, with additional trips on certain days. 600 denars return.

By Foot

The city center and the old town is compact and best seen on foot. An interesting walk that takes in the main attractions starts in the main square. The city's museums are in this area. From here, visit St. Sophia Church, the Antique Theater. Finally, walk up the hill to King Samuil's Fortress. Plaoshnik, and St. John - Kaneo can be visited on the return journey.

Eat

Restaurants and hotels throughout Macedonia are proudly displaying Ohrid trout (Ohridska pastrmka) on their menus because it is very delicious but it is illegal to catch the fish along the Macedonian shoreline of Lake Ohrid. Please do not support or encourage the consumption of the trout. Ohrid trout, an ancient living fish, is in severe danger. There is also another trout species called Belvica.

Drink

The traditional Macedonian alcoholic beverages are rakija and mastika. Boza is a refreshing drink on a hot summer day; it was spread throughout Macedonia with the arrival of the Turks and it has significant nutritional value. Other popular drinks are Macedonian wines called Kavadarka and Smederevka and Skopsko beer. Try boza with ice-cream. Its called "Ambasador".

Sleep

Main forms of accommodation are private houses, apartments and villas,you can also try to find a couchsurfer. For an average price of around €10-15 per night, you will find an excellent private facilities, located mostly in the Old Town. Fastest and safest way of booking accommodation in Ohrid hotels and apartments is to visit website www.visitohrid.com.mk. On the page are published different information which help tourists during their stay in Ohrid.While arriving there, to get a host you can ask at the nearest Tourist Information Bureau (at the bus station, for example). However, the best solution is to make your reservation in advance via Internet or phone, having in mind the growing popularity of Ohrid as tourist destination.

Upscale

You can use the form below to search for availability (Travellerspoint receives a commission for bookings made through the form)

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet access is widely available throughout the country. Internet cafés are available in most cities and in some villages. Almost all hotels provide internet access, either free or paid. Local coffee shops usually offer free Wi-Fi access, as many other public places do. Feel free to ask for the password, if the network is locked.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Macedonia's international telephone code is 389.

Mobile phones are widely spread and the coverage is excellent. There are 3 mobile networks (T-mobile, One and VIP), all using the GSM/3G standard. You can buy a pre-paid SIM card from T-mobile for MKD295 (€5) with MKD250 free talk time, from ONE for MKD190 (€3) with MKD250 free talk time, and from VIP for MKD300 (€5) with MKD300 free talk time. You may need to show your ID card or passport when buying.

If you want to use your home cellphone for internet service, buy a local SIM card or otherwise switch off data roaming and use wifi only. Prices per MB are still extremely high otherwise.

Post

Macedonia's National Postal Service offers fairly reliable and affordable services, though it might take a while for your letter or postcard to arrive. At least 3-5 days within Europe, but more like 10 days for destinations outside Europe. Major post offices keep fairly long opening times, from 8:30am to 7:30pm Monday to Saturday and even on Sunday mornings in some places like Skopje. Smaller towns and rural areas have (much) shorter opening times. If you want to send a package internationally, use courier services like FedEx, UPS, TNT or DHL, as they are fast,. reliable and competitively priced.

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