OHRID: Timeless Beauty and Rich History

We would like to draw your attention to one of Macedonia's greatest truths, the truth of Ohrid, an eternal town, a magical hill whose primordial pulsation links ancient and modern times forewer because: Ohrid has been a living town for two thousand and four hundred years. It is the legitimate descendant of the shining Lychnidos, a town whose achievements were woven into the tapestry of a powerful ancient civilization; the town of Ohrid is indeed the cultural history of the Republic of Macedonia in miniature. As an Episcopal centre in ancient times, and likewise through the widely renowned Ohrid archibishopic, through the centuries the town has represented the entire ecclesiastical history of Macedonia. It bears the name "The Balkan Jerusalem". Through the activity of St. Clement of Ohrid, the first pan-Slavonic university on Europe was situated here. Ohrid was the most important official capital of the first Slav Macedonian State, of Samuel's empire. And Ohrid was the centre of Macedonia's nineteenth century revival. Today Ohrid is a cultural, spiritual and tourist centre. And finally, as the crowning glory of its values, Ohrid and Lake Ohrid have been named a world cultural and natural heritage listed city under the protection of UNESCO since 1980.

OHRID: Things to do - To visit

How to Get There

By Plane

International airports in Skopje and Ohrid connect Macedonia with several major European cities. Close regional airports in Belgrade, Sofia and Thessaloniki can also be used, as they are all within a few hours’ drive from Macedonia

By Train

An international train, operating twice daily, connects Ljubljana, Slovenia and Thessaloniki, Greece by way of Macedonia. Stops include Tabanovce (the Macedonia-Serbia border crossing point), Kumanovo, Skopje, Veles, Gradsko, Negotino, Demir Kapija, and Gevgelija (Greek border crossing point), as well as a few small villages. An east-west railway to connect Bulgaria with Macedonia is at present under construction

By Car

The international highway E-75 runs north-south from Serbia to Greece, bisecting Macedonia. This is the most common route for overland tourists to take for entering Macedonia. There are also good roads connecting the country with Bulgaria to the east and Albania to the west

Photo: Vladica S. [OC]