Ohrid
Byzantine churches, a UNESCO lake and old bazaar craft workshops
Browse Ohrid
Ohrid sits on Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia and shares the water with Albania. The lake is one of the oldest and deepest in Europe; in antiquity it was called Lihnid. Town and lake are both UNESCO-listed, and in February 2021 the lake and Studenchishte Marsh were named Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance – the end of 27 years on the shadow list, and of a long campaign by the citizens’ initiative Ohrid SOS. The Old Town climbs the hillside above the water in narrow lanes, tunnels and small courtyards, upper storeys stepping out over the street. Tsar Samoil Street is its spine.
A lot of the best of it costs nothing. Walk the Kej Makedonija promenade, then follow the wooden walkway that runs out over the water and round the cliffs to Potpeš beach – the only way to reach the Kaneo restaurants on foot, and it passes right under the Church of St John at Kaneo, the most photographed building in the country. In the Old Bazaar square, stop at the Chinar: an oriental plane estimated at anywhere from 600 to well over 1,100 years old, with a trunk more than 20 metres around. The ticketed sights earn their keep too. Plaošnik stacks prehistory, antiquity and the Middle Ages around St Clement’s tomb and a superbly preserved mosaic baptistery floor. Below you will find 50 hand-picked local recommendations across sights, restaurants, hotels and tours, which you can filter by category and budget.
Ohrid at a glance
- Ideal stay: 2 to 4 days
- Best time to visit: May to September
- Free favourites: Kej Makedonija, the Kaneo walkway and the Chinar tree
- Worth a ticket: Plaošnik, the Perybleptos church, Bay of the Bones
- Where to stay: the Old Town lanes or the Kej Makedonija lakefront
- Local picks: 50 hand-chosen recommendations
Where to stay in Ohrid
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How many days do you need in Ohrid?
Two to four days covers the Old Town, Plaošnik and Tsar Samuel’s Fortress at a relaxed pace. May to September suits swimming and boat trips, with July and August the busiest. Add a day if you want to get out to the Monastery of Saint Naum, about 29 km south at the Albanian border.
What are the best things to do in Ohrid?
Climb through the Old Town to Plaošnik, where prehistory, antiquity and the Middle Ages sit in layers around St Clement’s tomb and a 5th to 6th-century basilica with an exceptionally preserved mosaic baptistery floor. Walk the lakeside boardwalk under the Church of St John at Kaneo. Then find the Church of the Virgin Mary Perybleptos, the best-rated church in the city and far less visited.
Where is the best area to stay in Ohrid?
The Old Town or the Kej Makedonija lakefront. Either one puts the churches, the Old Bazaar and the Kaneo restaurants within walking distance, and the wooden walkway round the cliffs starts from the promenade.
How do you buy a real Ohrid pearl?
Only two families hold the emulsion recipe: Talevi, who established the name Ohrid Pearl in 1935, and Filevi. Each pearl is hand-coated in layers made from the scales of the plašica, a fish endemic to the lake. The main street is full of imitators, so buy from one of the two families and take the certificate.