Best Things To Do In Ohrid, Macedonia

Here are our suggestions for all the fantastic things to do in Ohrid, Macedonia. We’ve covered all the Ohrid attractions and places to stay.

The Ottoman houses on the shore of Lake Ohrid are veiled in the morning mist as if they were white ghosts against a blanket of white.

This enveloping whiteness hovers over the wooden boats scattered around the lake and swallows the crown of houses ranged around it. Nevertheless, I know how beautiful the view is, having seen countless postcard-perfect pictures of this UNESCO-listed Lake, one of the world’s oldest.

When tourists are gone and winter is in the air, Ohrid becomes again the picturesque lakeside town that has enchanted visitors since the Byzantine Empire.

The pale light of the sun reflects on deserted cobbled streets, and this glowing fog melts in time with the footfalls of the few people wandering around. The ancient stones drenched with rain emanate a wet, winterish smell, which –here and there- is abruptly interrupted by the warm scent of oven-baked burek.

Ohrid is well-known for its churches, 365 originally –one for each day of the year- a feature that won it the epithet of “the Jerusalem of the Balkans.” The churches are scented with incense. Ohrid’s churches and architecture span more than two millennia, which is just one reason why UNESCO recognizes this enchanting city.

It is one of the 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on both the Cultural and the Natural lists. I didn’t stumble upon any celebrations inside Ohrid’s churches.

Instead, I always found a profound silence only occasionally interrupted by footsteps tiptoeing on the marble floorings: a solemn atmosphere I bet you can only find during this time of the year when the town becomes quiet and idyllic again.

Unlike my usual travel style,’ I visited many churches in Ohrid, starting with an ambitious plan in the early morning but slowly adopting a more Balkan approach as the day passed. This implied Turkish coffees at a typical Macedonia cafe, Skopsko beers, some meaty snacks, and the ubiquitous Ohrid trout, which is the protagonist of the area’s traditional cuisine and the only thing that the Macedonian shore has in common with the Albanian side across the lake.

The area is also well-known for its centuries-old tradition of winemaking. Macedonians love to drink, and Ohrid’s porches overlooking the lake are the perfect place to do it.

All these lakeside cafés are bustling during the summer, but now the paved promenade is empty, and everything looks more authentic. Even the accordion player at a fancy restaurant goes for Tose Proeski’s very Macedonian songs rather than the international repertoire of the summer.

When the music stops, I can only hear the rhythmic percussion of waves on sand. Watching them coming and going, I can’t help thinking about when I was on the other side of the lake, on the Albanian shore.

The two experiences could not be more different: the touristy, postcard-perfect Macedonian outline of the Ottoman houses and the rough, neglected jumble of concrete on the Albanian side. Anyone who has visited both sides of Ohrid Lake knows that these two landscapes are not just lakes but a whole world apart.

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Things To Do In Ohrid

Ohrid is well-known for its ancient churches, among which the most popular are St. Pantelejmon, the oldest Slav Monastery in Europe; St. Sophia, from the 11th century; the Holy Mother of God Perivleptos, well-known for its frescoes, and St. John Kaneo, which is picturesquely situated on the cliff. Or you could take a day trip and head to the Monastery of St Naum.

Besides beautiful frescoes and theological representations, Ohrid’s churches preserve a collection of more than 800 Byzantine-style icons dating from the 11th to the end of the 14th century.

Where Is Ohrid Macedonia & How To Get There?

Ohrid is 170km away from Skopje, the country’s capital city. You can either catch the public bus from Skopje Bus Station, which will take 3 hours, or rent a car and drive for 2.5 hours along the country’s most scenic routes.

Where To Sleep In Ohrid Macedonia?

Besides the stunning hotels in Ohrid, you can sleep in well-preserved, traditional late-Ottoman houses that have become family-owned bed-and-breakfasts for a genuinely captivating experience!

What To Eat In Ohrid Macedonia?

Macedonian cuisine is very similar to other Balkan cuisines. A popular national dish is the “Tavče Gravče,” a bean soup, while in the area surrounding Lake Ohrid, several traditional dishes are made out of trout. There are lots of authentic restaurants in Ohrid to track down these dishes.