Things to see and do The Great Lakes

This lake (Преспанско Езеро/Prespansko Ezero, Liqeni i Prespës, Μεγάλη Πρέσπα/Megali Prespa) is the second largest in North Macedonia, after Ohrid. It is one of Europe's most important ornithological areas: around 42% of the continent's bird species live, stay or nest here. With a theoretical surface area of 259 km², the lake is shared between three countries. Northern Macedonia owns the largest part, 176.3 km². The remainder is divided between Albania (46.3 km²) to the southwest and Greece (36.4 km²) to the south.

Large and small Prespa. There are actually two Prespa lakes. An isthmus 4 km long and 500 m wide separates Lake Prespa - or Great Prespa Lake - from Little Prespa Lake (Мало Преспанско Езеро/Malo Prespansko Ezero, Prespa e Vogël, Μικρή Πρέσπα/Mikri Prespa). Located in the south, it covers 46.8 km². It lies mainly in Greece, with a small part in Albania (4.3 km²). Formed 1 million years ago, the two lakes cover a total area of around 306 km². They are shallow: 14 m on average and 48 m maximum for the large lake, 7.7 m on average for the small lake. They are linked by a natural channel across the isthmus, which lies in Greek territory. They lie 853 m above sea level, between Mount Galičica (2,254 m) to the west, Mount Baba (2,601 m) to the east and Mali i Thatë ("dry mountain", 2,287 m) in Albania to the south, making them the highest non-glacial lakes in the Balkans. Thanks to their elevated position and porous karst configuration, the Prespa lakes supply water to Lake Ohrid via natural underground passages 7 to 12 km long, which run beneath Mount Galičica.

Islands and biodiversity. The lakes include three small islands. On the large Lake Prespa are the islets of Golem Grad (18 ha), in Northern Macedonia, and Maligrad (5 ha), in Albania, both uninhabited. The island of Agios Achillios (80 ha) on Greece's tiny Lake Prespa is inhabited by just twenty or so people. Tourism is underdeveloped, and there are no towns on the shores, only hamlets and villages. But the area is rich in biodiversity, with marshes and reeds, numerous endemic species of fish, crustaceans and aquatic plants.

Waders and pelicans. The Prespa Lakes are one of Europe's most important stopovers for migratory birds from Africa and the Middle East. Large wading birds such as the little egret(Egretta garzetta), great egret(Ardea alba), sickle ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) and black-crowned night heron(Nycticorax nycticorax), and fishing birds such as pygmy cormorant(Microcarbo pygmeus), white pelican(Pelecanus onocrotalus) and curled pelican(Pelecanus crispus). The latter, very rare on the planet, is the largest of the pelicans. The Prespa Lakes are its only breeding ground on the Old Continent. In fact, Europe's largest colony of this bird, with an average wingspan of 3 meters, can be found here.

Ramsar and Unesco. The three national areas of the two lakes are listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Greece (51 km²) since 1975, Northern Macedonia (189 km²) since 1995 and Albania (151 km²) since 2013. There is also the small Ezerani Nature Park (20 km²), north of the large lake, in Northern Macedonia. The whole area is bordered by four national parks: Galičica (227 km²) and Pelister (171 km²), in Northern Macedonia, Prespa National Park (277 km²), in Albania, and Prespa National Park (51 km²), in Greece. There are also two international protected areas. In 2000, the "Prespa Park" was created between Northern Macedonia, Albania and Greece. It is managed by the Society for the Protection of Prespa (spp.gr), co-founded in 1990 by Swiss biologist Luc Hoffmann (1923-2016) and based in the Greek village of Agios Germanos, on the shores of the small Prespa lake. And, since 2014, the areas of the two Prespa lakes located in Northern Macedonia and Albania have been part of the "Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve" created by Unesco. The reserve extends over 4,462 km² between the two countries. It is managed by the German-based Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (pont.org).

Threats and disasters. Despite all the protection measures implemented by the three countries, the Prespa Lakes ecosystem remains fragile. The surface area of both lakes is shrinking year by year as a result of global warming. Several endemic species are threatened with extinction, notably the Prespa trout(Salmo peristericus). In 2022, a sudden outbreak of avian flu caused the death of more than 1,700 curly pelicans - around 60% of the colony on the two lakes. This was a catastrophe for a species that had previously numbered fewer than 18,000 individuals worldwide.

A symbol of rapprochement. To end on a more positive note, the Prespa lakes recently served as the setting for a rapprochement between Athens and Skopje. It was in the Greek village of Psarades, on the southern shore of the great lake, that representatives of the two countries signed the historic Prespa Agreement on June 12, 2018. This enabled FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) to finally gain international recognition under the name of "North Macedonia".

Perched at 1 300 m above sea level, 7 km southwest of Vevčani, Gorna Belica (Bella di Supra en aroumain) is a former alpine village of vlachs shepherds. Today uninhabited, it has become a resort for the inhabitants of Struga, who come here looking for freshness in summer. Gorna Belica has the church Saint-Clement of Ohrid (Свети Климент Охридски), the first church arriving in the village. It dates back to the ninth s. and would have been the residence of the saint before it finally settled on the shores of the lake. Higher, the church Sainte-Petka (Света Петка or Paraškjevija in aroumain) dates back to the beginning of the s. It is typical of the vlachs architecture with its iconostasis decorated with floral motifs and its carved wooden eagle. 

Founded in the early ^14th century, this Orthodox monastery is dedicated to the dormition of the Mother of God (Манастир Рождество на Пресветата Богородица/Manastir Roždestvo na Presvetata Bogorodica). It features a seven-hundred-year-old plane tree, the summer residence of the Archbishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, a modern church and the rock church around which the complex was built. The latter is housed in a cave that has been occupied by hermits since the ^11th century. It comprises three spaces on two levels, accessible via staircases and narrow passages cut into the rock. The walls are almost entirely decorated with frescoes created between the early ^14th and ^16th centuries. Among them, the oldest scene is the Vision of Saint Peter of Alexandria: a 12-year-old child in torn clothes appears to the Patriarch of Alexandria; he claims to have been attacked by the priest Arius (condemned for heresy at the Council of Nicaea in 325) and announces to Peter that he will die a martyr's death. Also of note are the portraits of the archangels Gabriel and Michael guarding the entrance to the church and a representation, unique in the Balkans, of the two holy healers of Nicomedia (today Izmir, Turkey) Saint Hermolaos and Saint Panteleimon, the former teaching Christianity to the latter. The grotto also boasts two reputedly miraculous springs dedicated to the apostle Peter and Saint Ananias of Damascus (the apostle Paul's healer).

This private museum (Етнолошки Музеј во Подмочани/Etnološki Muzej vo Podmočani) was established in 1993 by the Eftimovski family. It houses over 3,000 objects (jewelry, coins, furniture...), including the largest collection of traditional costumes in North Macedonia with almost every region represented. Note that the village of Podmočani (approx. 260 inhabitants) has a strange name meaning "under the pee": an unfortunate deformation of the word močurište ("marsh").

This Orthodox church (Црквата Свети Ѓорѓи/Crkvata Sveti Gorgi) houses some of the most precious frescoes in the Balkans. Built in the late ^12th century, it belonged to a monastery whose other buildings have disappeared. Its frescoes are dated 1191: an inscription on the apse indicates that the (anonymous) painters began work on April 25 of that year. They are, according to researchers, an "extreme culmination" of the great artistic movement of the Byzantine Comnenes dynasty (1081-1185), whose influence can be seen as far afield as the West.

Building. Situated on a flattened hill surrounded by trees, the church offers a beautiful panorama of Lake Prespa. It resembles a farmhouse, a rectangular building (17 x 7 m) built of stone and brick lintels, which was modified in the 1920s: a porch and wooden ceiling were added, and the south and north entrances were converted into windows. Under the porch remain ^12th-century frescoes: portraits of Saints George, Theodore and Demetrios on horseback, of the donors (an unidentified Byzantine noble couple), of Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angel (1185-1204) with his wife, and of Ohrid Archbishop John V Kamateros (1183-1216). Inside, the 5 m-high walls are covered with frescoes, with the exception of some lost sections, notably on the west wall and on the upper areas. However, the church has no iconostasis or icons of any value.

The apse. The eastern wall, facing the main entrance, is adorned with the most important and best-preserved frescoes. The pediment, above the apsidal conch, features the Pentecost scene (revelation of the Holy Spirit): Christ in majesty - badly damaged - appears to the Mother of God, surrounded by the archangels Gabriel and Michael, and the apostles. The conch itself develops the theme of the Annunciation (the archangel Gabriel announcing to Mary her divine maternity): the Mother of God presents the infant Jesus as a symbol of the Lamb of God (sacrificial victim). She is again flanked by the archangels Gabriel (left) and Michael. This particularly famous depiction of Gabriel, nicknamed the "Angel of Kurbinovo", appears on 50-denar banknotes. On either side of the conch are Gabriel and Mary. Finally, the altar and side walls feature the Fathers of the Church, St. George, St. Erasmus, the evangelists St. Cyril and Methodius and their disciple St. Clement of Ohrid, St. Achilles of Larissa (patron of the Bulgarian Emperor Samuel) and the Catholic Pope Clement III (who tried to avoid schism with the Orthodox). In addition to its stylistic quality (supple bodies, rendering of drapery, etc.), this cycle contains exemplary elements both politically (Bulgarian heritage, relations with Rome) and iconographically, with the oldest fresco of St. Methodius and the only ^12th-century portrait of St. Clement of Ohrid. Finally, this is the first time in Byzantine iconography that the amnos (theme of the Lamb of God) is depicted in this way, surrounded by representatives of the Church, heaven and earth, a form that was later standardized.

South wall. To the right of the main entrance, the wall is decorated with the cycle of the Great Feasts (Nativity, Baptism of Christ, etc.). These include the double scene of the Visitation, at the corner with the east wall (apse): Mary, who has just learned that she is pregnant, goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, herself pregnant by Saint John the Baptist. In the first scene, young Mary is reunited with Elizabeth, a tired old woman. They embrace and kiss. The second scene, partly deleted, illustrates the last three months of Elizabeth's pregnancy, during which the two women live together. The reunion scene is particularly moving. It illustrates the complicity of motherhood that unites the two cousins. Such an outpouring of emotion is uncommon in Christian art. In fact, it is one of the most striking scenes of the Visitation in Christian iconography. The theme of motherhood recurs in the lower area, near the door, with a rare scene: Mary as a child being suckled by her mother, Saint Anne.

Other frescoes. Around the main entrance, the western wall is richly decorated. The pediment is dominated by the Pantheon of Saints, incompletely preserved. This is also where the cycle of the Great Festivals, begun on the south wall, and the Passion on the north wall, come to an end. Among the most striking scenes are the Ascension, with Christ dispensing living waters (symbolizing the Holy Spirit and eternal life) surrounded by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, and the entry into Jerusalem, the Transfiguration (Christ reveals his divine nature to the apostles Peter, James and John), the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Last Judgment and the Theophany of the Ancient of Days (divine revelation of the coming of the Messiah) marked by the presence of cherubim, seraphim and angels. Also of note is Saint Marine stunning Beelzebub. On the north wall, scenes from the Crucifixion and Lamentations (Passion cycle) stand out, as does the large portrait of St. George, answering the portrait of Christ, symbol of Peace, on the south wall.

The name of this ravine (Француски Тел/Francuski Tel) bears the memory of World War I fighting. It's a natural fault in the foothills of Mount Galičica, around 900 m above sea level. Between October 1915 and September 1918, the Macedonian front passed through here: the French Armée d'Orient and a Russian contingent held the southern parts of the great Prespa lake and Mount Galičica, between Oteševo and Trpejca (southeast of Lake Ohrid), while Bulgarian forces were established to the north with elements of the German army.

This beautiful and venerable plane tree (Охридскиот Чинар/Ohridskiot Činar)is the most famous tree in the country. Referred to by the generic Turkish term çınar ("sycamore"), it is actually an Oriental plane tree(Platanus orientalis). Legend has it that it was planted in the ^10th century by St. Clement of Ohrid himself. A plaque installed on site by the municipality in 2019 accredits this theory. But its presence is actually more recent. It dates back to the ^fifteenth century, at the beginning of the Ottoman period, when the charchia was built.

Created in 2012, this protected area (Парк на Природата Езерани/Park na Prirodata Ezerani) extends over 20 ^km2 in the Resensko marshes, an important nesting area for Prespa Lakes birds. This is where you'll find the highest concentration of white and curly pelicans. Managed by the municipality of Resen and the Macedonian Ecological Society, the park features observation towers and trails, English-language signs and an information center. By appointment, you can take part in a guided tour with one of the park rangers.

Set into a cliff on the edge of the lake, this Orthodox rock church (Црква Свети Атанасиј/Crkva Sveti Atanasij) dates from the ^mid-14th century. It houses superb frescoes from the 1360s, which were rediscovered during a restoration in 1964. Particularly noteworthy are the portraits of saints (St. Clement of Ohrid, St. Nicholas, St. Petka, etc.), inspired by those in St. Sophia Cathedral in Ohrid, but more realistic and "alive", with magnificent drapery in particular.

This peak (Црн Камен/Crn Kamen, Guri I Zi) is the highest point of Mount Jablanica, at 2,257 m above sea level. It lies on the border with Albania, at GPS point 41.246393, 20.521880, about 5.8 km west of Vevčani as the crow flies. Nearby is the small Lake Večani (2,810^m2), at an altitude of 1,993 m. The summit and lake can be reached by a 13.6 km loop trail from the hamlet of Gorna Belica, itself 11.8 km on foot southwest of the Vevčani springs. The route from Gorna Belica to the summit is detailed on wikiloc.com.

This small island, whose name means "big city" (Голем Град), is one of three islands in the two Prespa lakes. Covering an area of 18 ha, it is the only island in North Macedonia. Also known as Snake Island (Змиски Островou/Zmiski Ostrovou) or Saint Peter's (Свети Петар/Sveti Petar), it is a formidable nature reserve home to exceptional flora and fauna: snakes, turtles, birds... 750 m long and 450 m wide, its summit rises 50 m above the lake. Today uninhabited, it boasts important historical remains. Golem Grad was inhabited for two thousand years, and monasteries were active here between the ^10th and ^14th centuries. In addition to a Roman necropolis, six churches have been discovered. Of these, St. Peter's, built in the ^14th century by the Serbian lord Volkašin, is the best preserved. It features a fresco of Mary's flight into Egypt, a theme rarely depicted in the region's medieval churches. There's also an early Christian basilica (^4th-5th century). But to admire all this, you mustn't be afraid of snakes. There are an estimated 50,000 of them on the island. In other words, they're everywhere, in the water and in the trees. CNRS researcher Xavier Bonnet, who has carried out several missions there, is reassuring: "The two most common species are not dangerous: tesselated snakes are not venomous and ammodytes rarely bite. These animals are very timid, not the type to jump at your ankles."

Founded in 1938, this national museum (Музеј Д-Р Никола Незлобински/Muzej D-R Nikola Nezlobinski) houses the natural science collection of Russian-Yugoslav physician Nikola Nezlobinski (1885-1942). Trained in St. Petersburg, Nezlobinski found refuge in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the Russian Revolution of 1917, and from 1924 was responsible for combating malaria in Struga. His collection includes taxidermized specimens of numerous species from Lake Ohrid, the Prespa lakes and Mount Galičica: butterflies, birds of prey, fish, etc.

Established in 2002, this small, privately owned print shop-museum (Национална Работилница за Рачна Изработка на Хартија/Nacionalna Rabotilnica za Račna Izrabotka na Hartija, National Workshop For Handmade Paper) offers reproductions of old works and documents using a variety of handcrafted techniques. There are demonstrations of papermaking, including a replica of the letterpress developed by Gutenberg in 1440. Sale of handmade paper and various prints.

Opened in 2011, this small private museum (Музеј на Долард/Muzej na Dolard, A. den Doolaard Museum) is dedicated to the Dutch writer A. den Doolaard (1904-1994). He wrote about present-day North Macedonia from 1934 and was particularly interested in Ohrid. The city attracts many tourists from the Netherlands. Installed in the Cultura 365 center, the museum consists of photos and excerpts from books by the writer. Since 2006, a monument also pays tribute to him in the park "Holland", south of the Macedonian quay.

These springs (Вевчански Извори/Vevčanski Izvori) are among the most famous in Northern Macedonia. Located on Mount Jablanica, at an altitude of 910 m, they have been a protected area covering 1,370 ha since 2012. Several streams here swell the waters of the Vevčanska River, which flows through Vevčani, before joining the Black Drin at the village of Dobovjani, 6 km to the east. The area is enchanting, with old mills, waterfalls, paved paths, wooden footbridges, information panels (English version), picnic areas and thick vegetation dominated by oak and hazel. The area is home to numerous animal species, including 120 types of butterfly, 30 species of reptile and 9 types of bat. However, the main source of the Vevčanska is further up (1,344 m), at the place known as the "Jankov Stone" (Јанков Камен/Jankov Kamen). A pleasant, easy 3.3-km-long trail follows the river between the "Vevčani springs" and the "Jankov stone" (allow 3h round trip). You can sleep in a dormitory at the Jankov Kamen hut (+389 75 89 20 45, approx. €8/person), then continue for 8.5 km to Gorna Belica (Горна Белица, Belica e Sipërme), at 1,440 m altitude. This hamlet, with just four inhabitants in 2021, does however have a hotel, the Gorna Belica (+389 70 27 45 60, around €25 for two). It's a good starting point for other trails to the peaks and lakes of Mount Jablanica.

This Orthodox rock chapel (Црква Света Богородица Пештанска/Crkva Sveta Bogorodica Peštanska) is adorned with ^14th-century frescoes. Heavily denatured by the lake's humidity, the pigments were applied directly to the rock. However, representations of some of the great Orthodox feasts are still recognizable: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Baptism of Christ... Only accessible from Gradište beach, the chapel is frequently visited by bathing-suited worshippers.

This lake (Охридско Езеро/Ohridsko Ezero, Liqeni i Ohrit) is one of the oldest in the world and the deepest in the Balkans. Good for swimming in summer (the water temperature then exceeds 23 ° C), it extends over 349 ^km2 on both sides of the border with Albania, including 250 ^km2 in Northern Macedonia, which makes it the second largest lake in the Balkans after the lake of Shkodra, between Albania and Montenegro, which displays an area of 370 to 530 ^km2 depending on the season. However, the latter contains barely 2 million cubic metres of water, compared with over 55 million cubic metres for Lake Ohrid. Bordered by the towns of Ohrid and Struga, in Northern Macedonia, and Pogradec, in Albania, Lake Ohrid is also known as "Lake Pogradec" in Albanian (Liqeni i Pogradecit). At an altitude of 693 m, it offers magnificent scenery: it is surrounded by mountains, particularly to the east, where Mount Galičica (2,254 m) separates it from the large Lake Prespa (259 ^km2). Its rich flora and fauna have earned it Unesco World Heritage status since 1979, and Ramsar status for wetlands of international importance since 2021.

An old cousin of Titicaca. Oval in shape, the lake is 30.4 km long from north to south and 14.8 km wide from east to west. Its average depth is 155 m, with a maximum depth of 288.70 m. That's almost as deep as Lake Geneva, between France and Switzerland, which drops to - 310 m. But it's a long way from Norway's Lake Hornindalsvatnet, which holds the European depth record at - 514 m. On the other hand, Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes on the planet, along with Lake Titicaca (between Peru and Bolivia), Lake Baikal (in Russia), Lake Tanganyika (between Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia) and the Dead Sea (between Israel, the West Bank and Jordan). All date from the same period: they were formed around four million years ago. Lake Ohrid is also distinguished by its very particular geology and hydrography. It is carved out of dense limestone rock, which prevents it from draining to the bottom. It is fed mainly by Lake Prespa, located at a higher altitude (853 m), whose waters flow through natural galleries beneath Mount Galičica to emerge as springs on the outskirts of Lake Ohrid. The most important of these resurgences are located on the south-eastern shore, around the St. Naum monastery, close to the Albanian border.

Translucent waters. Passing underground, the water is filtered and emerges particularly clear in Lake Ohrid, ensuring astonishing transparency at depths of up to 22 m. The lake is also fed by some forty rivers. The lake itself is the main source of the Black Drin, a 177 km-long river that flows from Struga (on the north shore) into Albania, where it joins the White Drin from Kosovo to form the Drin River, which flows into the Adriatic Sea. Lake Ohrid is the second largest watershed (2,600 km²) in Northern Macedonia, after the Vardar (22,000 km²). And yet its waters flow very slowly: it is estimated that they take seventy years to fully renew themselves, compared with just thirteen years for those of the great Lake Prespa.

Exceptional biodiversity. Lake Ohrid is without doubt the richest lake in the world in terms of biodiversity. Due to its age and natural properties, it is home to 1,200 animal and plant species, many of which are endemic, i.e. found only here. There are, for example, ten endemic fish species. The most emblematic is the Ohrid trout(Salmo letnica), served in many restaurants under the nameohridska pastrmka(koran in Albanian). Endemism is particularly impressive among plants and invertebrates, with a freshwater sponge, 12 crustaceans, 20 algae, 63 molluscs and 178 small organisms that are completely unique in the world. The whole complex is a vast larder for thousands of birds that winter here, particularly endangered species such as the rare and imposing Dalmatian pelican, the Ferruginous duck - an attractive diving duck - the Pygmy cormorant, the Screaming eagle and the Imperial eagle. However, the Lake Ohrid ecosystem is threatened by human activity. High tourist numbers are leading to increasing pollution, and almost all the marshes have been drained for agricultural purposes. All that remains is the Studenčište marsh (Studenčiško Blato), home to 79 types of birds and a rich variety of aquatic worms and insects. But it's located just southeast of the city of Ohrid, where hotel complexes are booming, so bird numbers are in sharp decline. Some endemic fish species are in danger of extinction, notably the Ohrid pike-perch(Salmo ohridanus), locally known as belvica(belushka in Albanian). Human pressure is most acute in the North Macedonian part of the region. Ohrid is the country's tourism capital. As the country has no access to the sea, the beaches on the eastern shore are crowded in summer. This part of the lake is nicknamed the "Macedonian Riviera".

This Orthodox chapel (Црквата Света Богородица Захумска/Crkvata Sveta Bogorodica Zahumska) is located on a ridge above Lake Ohrid, at an altitude of 1,005 m above sea level. An elegant little Byzantine building dating from 1299, it is reminiscent of the Church of St. John in Kaneo, Ohrid. Its frescoes, painted in 1361, are badly damaged. However, a rare scene inspired by a fresco in the Church of St. George in Kurbinovo (Lake Prespa) remains: the Virgin Child suckling by her mother, St. Anne.

This small Orthodox rock church (Црква Свети Стефан Панцир/Crkva Sveti Stefan Pancir) has been nestled in a cliff since the ^13th century. Behind a modern facade and bell tower, it preserves frescoes painted on the rock dating from the ^14th and ^15th centuries, including a Virgin in Majesty and an Eye of Providence. The church belongs to the almost abandoned village of Šipokno/Шипокно (on the heights) and gives its name to the hotel zone of Sveti Stefan (along the lake).

Erected in 1726, this Ottoman tower (Саат-Кула/Saat-Kula) stands 12 m high. Square and built of stone, its upper part and roof are made of wood. It was originally used to indicate the prayer times of Muslims. Its alla turca mechanism (placing the beginning of the day at sunset) was replaced by a classical alla franca system (which counts down the hours from midnight) after the Balkan wars (1912-1913). This one is still in use.

Situated at an altitude of 1,240 m, this Orthodox monastery (Сливнички Манастир/Slivnički Manastir) is dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God. Built between 1607 and 1645 by the Bulgarian clergy, it enjoys a beautiful setting on the slopes of Mount Baba with a grandiose panorama of the two Prespa lakes. Spared by French artillery fire in 1917 and restored in the 1990s, the complex is renowned for its miraculous spring, but has not been home to a monastic community since the ^19th century. However, it is possible to sleep here (20 rooms of rather spartan comfort) and is the starting point for hikes in the Pelister National Park. The catholicon (main church) is richly frescoed between 1607 and 1645. The main donors to the monastery are featured prominently. Among them, a certain Michel Petkov from Monastir (Bitola) had his son Kupen, who died prematurely in 1599, depicted in ceremonial dress in the northern part of the apse near the altar. Around the altar are portraits of the Slav evangelizers St. Cyril of Thessalonica, St. Clement and St. Naum of Ohrid, St. Gorazd of Bulgaria and St. Angelar of Ohrid. A rare depiction of Sisoes the Great (^6th-century Egyptian anchorite) lamenting over the skeleton of Alexander the Great can be found on a windowsill on the south wall. The church also boasts a fine iconostasis, whose royal doors and large icons also date from the ^17th century.

Offering a beautiful view of the lake, this recent Orthodox church (Црква Свети Климент и Пантелејмон/Crkva Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon) was completed in 2002. It follows the supposed model of the church of St. Panteleimon erected here by St. Clement of Ohrid in 893 and transformed into a mosque in the ^15th century. The latter, left abandoned since the departure of the Turkish population in 1912, was destroyed and only the base of the old church has been preserved. Of enormous appearance with a narthex (to the north), a porch (to the south), two domes, a bell tower (to the west), an apse and its apsidioles (to the east), the building in fact houses a rather narrow naos. On the lower parts of the walls, a zinc joint is supposed to mark the limit between recent areas and the foundations of the ^ninth century. Mosaics from a^{fifth-century} baptistery are displayed in the porch. In the naos, part of the ancient foundations is visible under glass panels and fragments of ^{fourteenth-century} frescoes remain around the altar. Finally, the relics of St. Clement have been placed in the crypt in which he was buried in 916, to the right of the iconostasis. Outside, opposite the main entrance, is the atrium of the Ohrid literary school. In all likelihood, the first Slavic-language university was founded here by Clement of Orhid in the ^9th century. Classes were held in this double peristyle, some of whose columns have been removed.

This Sufi place of worship (Теќе Зејнел Абедин-Паша/Teḱe Zejnel Abedin-Paša) is an ancient mosque founded by Governor Aliağazâde Zeynelâbidin Paşa in the ^16th century. In 1766, it was entrusted by decree of the Sultan to the Sufi brotherhood of the Halevis. From then on, the building became the âsitâne (mother house) of the halevis in the Ohrid region. Other buildings and türbes (tombs) were added until the ^19th century. Today unused, it is one of the very few tekkes in the Balkans with a minaret. It is 18 m high and dates from the ^17th century.

This mosque (Џамија Хаџи Торгут/Džamija Hadži Torgut, Xhamia e Haxhi Durgutit) is the oldest in the city. It was built in 1466 on the site of the Byzantine church Agia Kyriaki (Saint Dominic). Legend has it that its minaret collapsed several times, until the cross of the old church was installed at the top. Even today, the minaret (about 20 m high) is topped by a small stylized Christian cross, a unique case in the world. The building is nicknamed "Mosque of the Cross" (Крст Џамија/Krst Džamija).

This mosque (Алипашина Џамија/Alipašina Džamija, Xhamia e Ali Pashës) constitutes the heart of the sharia. Founded in 1573, it took its present name around 1823, when the pasha of Belgrade Maraşlı Ali Paşa extended his territory to here. Square in shape (15 x 15 m), it originally had two minarets, one of which was destroyed during the First Balkan War, the other during the Second World War. The interior has walnut elements and an inscription of the Shahada, the first pillar of Islam. It is the center of the Sunni community in Ohrid.

Renovated in 2021, this beautiful ^18th-century Ottoman-style house (Спомен Куќа на Браќата Миладинови/Spomen Kuḱa na Braḱata Miladinovi) was the birthplace of Dimitar Miladinov (1810-1862) and Konstantin Miladinov (1830-1862). Struga's two Bulgarian poets, who died of typhus in the same Ottoman prison in Constantinople, are presented here as "Macedonians". Yet they were the driving force behind the renaissance of Bulgarian literature, and the idea of a "Macedonian" identity did not emerge until decades after their death. Transformed into a museum, the house where they were born displays some of their works and personal effects, including a reproduction of the poem T'ga za Jug ("Nostalgia for the South"), composed in 1861 by Konstantin Miladinov. But much of their writing is still censored in North Macedonia, as it is considered probulgar. The house also houses the headquarters of the Struga Poetic Evenings Association (a festival held at the end of August), as well as some superb ^5th-6th century mosaics. These come from the floor of a large early-Christian basilica discovered in the village of Oktisi/Октиси, 10 km northwest of Struga, whose population is predominantly Turkish. Opposite the house is the Vangel-Kodžoman art gallery (Галерија Вангел Коџоман/Galerija Vangel Kodžoman). It houses thirty works by local painter Vangel Kodžoman (1904-1994). Visits by appointment with Miladinov House.

Nestled in a cliff, this Orthodox cave church (Црква Свети Архангел Михаил/Crkva Sveti Arhangel Mihail) houses a fine set of ^14th-century frescoes. The grotto also features a ^13th-century fresco in poor condition depicting the miracle of Chône: the archangel Michael - here painted on horseback holding a spear - diverting the water that threatened to flood the Christian village of Chône, in Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), after pagans destroyed a dam upstream.

This information center (Национален Парк Галичица Инфо Центар/Nacionalen Park Galičica Info Centar) is mainly active on the Internet and does not offer hiking guides. On the English version of the website, you'll find poorly detailed route maps (on foot or mountain bike), accommodation solutions or even a presentation of the flora and fauna. The same information can be found on the "National Park Galicica" app available on Google Play.

Curiously isolated on a block of stone, this Islamic mausoleum (Турбе Синан Челеби/Turbo Sinan Čelebi) is the only witness to five centuries of Ottoman presence on Plaošnik Hill. In the center of a small group of roofless arcades is the sarcophagus of Sinan Yusuf Çelebi, buried here in 1493. He was a prominent member of the powerful Turkish Ohrizade family and was responsible for several monuments in the lower town in the ^15th century which have now disappeared. It is also him who transformed the Saint-Panteleimon church into a mosque.

This Orthodox monastery (Брајчински Манастир/Brajčinski Manastir) was founded in the ^15th century by Bulgarian clergy. Dedicated to Saint Petka (also known as Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans), it boasts a church that preserves frescoes painted in the ^16th and ^18th centuries, including beautifully colored portraits of the archangel Michael and the prophet Jeremiah. Abandoned following a fire in 1902 and restored in the 1980s, the complex no longer has a permanent monastic community, but attracts pilgrims due to the presence of a reputedly miraculous spring.

This Orthodox cave church (Црквата Свети Еразмо Охридски/Crkvata Sveti Erazmo Ohridski) is dedicated to a mysterious local saint, St. Erasmus of Ohrid, a tutelary figure for local Christians since the^5th century. According to legend, the cave and its surroundings were once home to a community of hermits founded by the saint. Extensively altered up to the present day, the church features frescoes painted between the ^13th and ^18th centuries, including a large portrait of Theodore Doukas Comnenus, Byzantine ruler of Macedonia and Thrace after the Crusaders took Constantinople in 1204. It remains one of the country's most important rock churches. Today, it is at the center of a small religious complex. The cult of Erasmus remained strong in the region, even after the arrival of the Slavs. Thus, some 200 m to the south, along the main road, the ruins of a large ^12th-century church, also dedicated to St. Erasmus, were recently uncovered, along with a necropolis containing 124 tombs dating from the ^6th to ^12th centuries. From the St. Erasmus complex, a short cement road (approx. 200 m) leads near the top of the Gabavci hill topped by a cross, where you'll find the rock chapel of St. Catherine (Света Екатерина), where you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of Lake Ohrid. Behind the chapel are the remains of the Engelana fortress founded by the Enhélien tribe in the ^4th century BC.

At an altitude of 1,230 m, this site (Полетна Платформа Поглед/Poletna Platforma Pogled) offers a beautiful panorama of the Ohrid region. It is used by several paragliding agencies offering tandem jumps, including Paragliding Ohrid (paraglidingohrid.com) and Tandem Paragliding in Macedonia (facebook.com/tandem.flights.mk). It can be reached via an asphalt road from Velestovo, which continues for 12 km to the Asan Dzura hut at 1,480 m altitude.

Ohrid doesn't have a municipal or regional tourist office, but here's the nearest thing to one. Founded in 1975, the Biljana association brings together local historians, archaeologists, ethnologists and tourist guides. By appointment, it organizes guided tours of the monuments of the city of Ohrid, most of the villages on Lake Ohrid and Galičica National Park. It also offers advice and contacts for accommodation in the region.

This archaeological site contains the remains of an early Christian basilica of the ^4th or^5th century (Ранохристијанска Базилика Манчевци/Ranohristijanska Bazilika Mančevci). Discovered in 2007, it preserves the layout of two naves, a large mosaic on the floor and fragments of other mosaics bearing the names of the donors (John and Thomas), a portion of brick wall, three upright columns supporting two reconstructed vaults, as well as various decorative elements in marble.

More often referred to as Mali Sveti Vrači ("Little Holy Doctors"), this small medieval Orthodox church (Црква Свети Кузман и Дамјан/Crkva Sveti Kuzman i Damjan) is dedicated to the Anargyrian (who heal "without asking for money") saints, Como and Damian, Arab physicians and martyrs of the ^4th century. Neither its exact date of construction nor its founder are known, but it houses the oldest carved wooden iconostasis in Northern Macedonia. This one was made in the ^14th century and was renovated in 1964. Very precious with its twisted pillars, it is 3 m long and 1.90 m high. The frescoes, most of them very damaged, were made in the same period. Most notable is the beautiful portrait of the Mother of God Episkepis ("Protector" in Greek) carrying the infant Christ. This is shown on the 1,000 denar banknotes. In the apse of the altar stands out the figure of Konstantin Kabasilas, a Byzantine nobleman who was ordained archbishop of Ohrid around 1250. More damaged is the portrait of St. Clement of Ohrid, who holds a small model of the city of which he is the protector. Also recognizable are representations of St. Cosmo (patron saint of surgeons) and St. Damian (patron saint of pharmacists). Leaving the church and continuing up the same stairs, then turning left, you will quickly reach the church of Saints Constantine and Helen, then the church of the Mother of God-Perivleptos and the Gallery of Icons.

This cultural and tourist information center (Култура 365) was founded in 2011 by Ohrid photographer and publisher Mišo Juzmeski (1966-2021). It houses an exhibition center, the Doolaard Museum and a bookshop featuring books about the region in English and French, among others. The staff are on hand to advise on visits to the main monuments in and around the city. The center sometimes organizes guided tours in English and Dutch (ask for details). The team is also planning to open a full-fledged tourist office in Ohrid.

This 1909 neoclassical castle (Ресенски Сарај/Resenski Saraj) bears the Turkish name saraj (pronounced "saraï") meaning "palace". Inspired by the Château de Versailles, it was built for Ahmed Niyazi Bey (1873-1913), the Albanian governor of the Ottoman Empire and a native of Resen. Today, it houses the municipal library, a contemporary ceramics gallery and the town's museum. The latter houses three 4,000-year-old wooden boats discovered almost intact in the mud at Nakolec, on the eastern shore of Lake Prespa.

This early Christian basilica (Ранохристијанска Базилика Плаошник/Ranohristijanska Bazilika Plaošnik) is home to superb mosaics. It is the most important remnant of late antiquity unearthed on the hill of Plaošnik. The discovery was made as part of the large real estate project launched here in 2000. A large tubular structure houses the foundations of what was the seat of the bishopric of Lychnidos, probably founded in the^fifth century. The modern roofing is supposed to reproduce what the elaborate roof of this basilica with its tetraconical (four-leaf) plan looked like. Thanks to an elevated walkway that goes around the foundations, one can admire the mosaics on the floor with floral, animal, human and geometric motifs, including many "swastikas": swastikas were very common decorative elements in Greek, Roman and Byzantine decorations. The most remarkable piece is the baptistery decorated with a mosaic of peacocks drinking water from a sacred inexhaustible source. It is an illustration of the theme of baptism that purifies and nourishes the Christian throughout his life. The commissioners of all these works remain as anonymous as the artists who executed them. Only an inscription in Greek on the north side of the church evokes their memory: "This was done by those whose names are known to God Nearby are the ruins of a "pagan" temple and various buildings from the Roman and Byzantine periods.

This ^14th-century Orthodox church (Црква Свети Димитрија/Crkva Sveti Dimitrija) retains superb original paintings. In the first area, the large portraits of saints have disappeared, but on the south wall remains the face of St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki, a martyr of the ^fourth century. In the second zone, there is the cycle of the Passion: the entrance to Jerusalem and its little children is particularly joyful. There is also a beautiful wooden cross carved in the ^nineteenth century.

Surrounded by a pleasant garden, this Orthodox church (Црква Свети Константин и Елена/Crkva Sveti Konstantin i Elena) dates from the late ^14th century and was remodeled in 1477. It consists of a vaulted nave with a small transept, an apse and a side chapel placed to the south. The latter has lost its decoration except for a fragment of the fresco of the forty martyrs of Sebaste: a group of Roman legionaries converted to Christianity and died as martyrs on a frozen lake in present-day Turkey in the year 320. But the rest of the building retains its original frescoes (except in the northern part, due to humidity) and beautiful wooden doors with carved decoration. On the south wall, a large damaged fresco depicts St. Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, founder of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, and his mother, St. Helen, who was canonized for having, it is said, found the relic of the cross of Christ in the Holy Land. Note also a rich scene of the dormition of the Mother of God inspired by that of the church of the Mother of God-Perivleptos as well as the portrait of the donor, the hieromonk Parthenios. The latter is depicted with his family and holds the model of the church that he offered to Christ. Finally, St. Constantine and St. Helen are again depicted on the royal doors of the iconostasis (late ^14th century), which are now kept in the nearby Gallery of Icons.