Lake guide · about three hours from Skopje
Ohrid’s old town and churches, St John at Kaneo, Samuel’s Fortress, the icon gallery, the Bay of Bones, St Naum and its springs, Galičica and Struga: where to go, eat and stay.
North Macedonia feature
One of the oldest lakes in the world, a town of churches and a monastery at the springs.
Walk the boardwalk to Kaneo at sunset, see the frescoes of St Sophia and the icon gallery, take a boat to St Naum, and drive up Galičica for the view of two lakes.
Read the full back story below, then plan your trip.
The back story
One of the oldest lakes in the world, a hillside town of churches and a monastery at the springs: Ohrid is the jewel of North Macedonia and a double UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ohrid’s postcard view
A small 13th-century church on a cliff above the lake, the most photographed spot in Ohrid.
Lanes of white houses
The old town on the hill, with Ottoman-era houses, churches and the Upper and Lower Gates.
The crown of the hill
The medieval fortress on top of Ohrid’s hill, with walls and towers and views over the lake.
11th-century frescoes
The medieval cathedral of Ohrid, with frescoes from the 11th century.
St Clement’s monastery
The site of St Clement’s monastery, with early Christian mosaics and a rebuilt church.
A Hellenistic theatre
A theatre from the Hellenistic period in the old town, used again for summer performances.
Frescoes of 1295
A church painted in 1295 by the masters Michael and Eutychios, beside a gallery of outstanding icons.
A merchant’s mansion
An early 19th-century merchant’s house in the old town, now part of the National Museum.
Car Samoil 62Explore View on map
Paper made by hand
A small workshop in the old town where paper is made by hand on a historic press.
Car Samoil 72Explore View on map
Prehistoric pile dwellings
A reconstruction of a prehistoric settlement built on wooden piles over the lake, about 15 km south of Ohrid.
Founded in 905
The monastery of St Naum at the southern tip of the lake, beside the springs, near the Albanian border.
Row across the springs
Clear springs feeding the lake beside the monastery, explored by rowing boat.
Two lakes in one view
The mountain park between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, with a road over the pass and views of both lakes.
Where the river leaves the lake
A lakeside town where the Black Drim flows out of Lake Ohrid, home of the Struga Poetry Evenings.
July and August
Music, opera and theatre in churches, the ancient theatre and the fortress every summer.
Handmade wines since 2019
A small family winery in the Ohrid region, founded in 2019, making about 10,000 bottles a year by hand.
By Kaneo beach
A traditional restaurant at Kaneo with lake views and fish dishes, such as fried plasica.
Kočo Racin 39Explore View on map
A terrace over the water
A lakeside terrace restaurant at Kaneo, with fine views of the lake and the church.
In an old mansion
A restaurant in an old Ohrid house in the heart of the old town, for classic Macedonian food.
Grills on the promenade
A grill restaurant on the lakeside promenade, just outside the old town.
Where the first metal boats were built
A lakeside restaurant in Ohrid named after the little boats (kajčinja) once built on this very spot.
Ilindenska 22, OhridExplore View on map
Old-town songs by the lake
A Macedonian restaurant in Ohrid’s old town beside the lake, with Macedonian wines and old-town acoustic music in the evenings.
Kosta Abraš 4, OhridExplore View on map
At Biljana’s Springs
A large restaurant at the famous Biljana’s Springs, 1 km from the centre, with a terrace and a restored historic wooden boat.
Panoramic lake terrace
A grill house on the Ohrid riviera with a terrace looking across the lake to the western shore.
In the old town
A guesthouse in the upper old town, near the ancient theatre.
Boro Šain 15AExplore View on map
Resort and spa
A modern resort hotel and spa in Ohrid.
Partizanska 56Explore View on map
The big lakeside resort
A large resort on the lake south of Ohrid, with a private beach and pools.
About three hours
Frequent buses from Skopje in about three to three and a half hours; Ohrid also has its own airport.
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