Ohrid
This Macedonia’s tourist magnet, one of the world oldest lakes and a UNESCO World Heritage site became an unexpected, mini retreat for me. At first, I planned to spend here one night and return to Skopje where I would end my trip. I felt in love with calm and romantic vibe of this famous lake town and immediately regretted I hadn’t brought with me my working laptop so I could work without cutting short my trip and return home. I was here in late April when the weather got warmer though you could not swim in the lake yet for the water was still cold. Tourists had not flooded in yet allowing me the space the roam the tranquil city.
Things to do and see
- Check out Orthodox churches which this town is famous for. It has over 365 churches, that means if you visit one church every day, you will still need a year to see them all.
- Mini tour on a taxi boat around the lake.
- Boat trip to Sveti Naum.
- Day-trip to the self-proclaimed independent country/village of Vevcani. There is no direct bus from Ohrid; you need to go first to Strugga, then take a bus from there.
- 1-2 hour trip to Strugga, Ohrid’s sister city on the other side of the lake, the home of a large Macedonian-Albanian population.
Food
Similar to Kosovo, eating well is also affordable in Macedonia. Also like in Kosovo, I ate only burek and cevapi. These delicious Balkan pies have different variations: meat, cheese, spinach or potatoes though in Kosovo you will find mostly meat or cheese. They are cheap too, cost only €0.6 and can make the best choice for breakfast, light lunch and light dinner. If you prefer meat, definitely try cevapi/Balkan kebab sold everywhere.
You probably won’t find anywhere in Europe where a dinner with 2 portions of cevapcici, Greek salad, and a soda at a restaurant in the old Turkish bazaar cost 260 denars/€4. (Skopje)
Sample cost
- Return train Belgrade-Skopje: €32
| Accommodation - Hostel from €9. - Budget Hotel from €15 |
Transportation - Bus from Pristina: €5.5 - Bus from Skopje to Strugga or Ohrid (oneway): 530 MKD/€9 - Bus from Ohrid to Strugga: 50 MKD/€0.8 - Taxi from Strugga to Ohrid: 250 MKD/€4 - Taxi boat at Ohrid: from €5 to €10 |
| Food - Burek: €0.7 - 2 portions of cevapi, Greek salad, a soda: €4 |
Transportation
- There is no low-cost airlines flying into Skopje. The best option is to fly to Thessaloniki, Greece (easyJet, Smartwings, Ryanair, Germanwings), Sofia, Bulgaria (Wizzair, easyJet, Germanwings) or Pristina, Kosovo (easyJet, Germanwings) and then take the bus to Ohrid.
- There are enough international buses going to/from Ohrid. Prices are very cheap for traveling to countries neighboring Macedonia.
- There is no train station in Ohrid.
- Ohrid is a small city where you can reach to most touristic sights on foot.
- Taxi should not be expensive here, but do ask the locals for the prices beforehand. They might even call the cabs for you.
