Travel Guide Ohrid

Ohrid/Охрид (pronounced "okrid") has around 38,800 inhabitants (74% Macedonians, 5% Albanians and 5% Turks) and 51,000 with the rest of the municipality. The town lies on Lake Ohrid, shared with Albania, 39 km northeast of Pogradec (Albania), 45 km northwest of Lake Prespa, 70 km west of Bitola(via Resen) and 209 km southwest of Skopje(via Debar and Mavrovo National Park). Bus links: see bus station.A veritable museum city, Ohrid and its lake have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979. Surrounded by mountains, this vast expanse of water perched at an altitude of 693 m offers superb scenery, particularly in the Galičica National Park. The town itself bears witness to a rich history. Sheltered by a Bulgarian citadel, the center preserves ancient remains, Ottoman mosques and, above all, precious medieval churches that attest to a formidable influence until the 19th century. Now the seat of the small Macedonian Orthodox Church, Ohrid has become the country's tourist capital. Every summer, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors: art and history lovers, Slavic and Orthodox pilgrims from all over the world, and bathers who enjoy the beaches of the "Macedonian Riviera". There are countless accommodations and restaurants here, as well as an airport with year-round links to Basel-Mulhouse in Alsace.