Ohrid: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In 886 two disciples of Cyril and Methodius, Clement and Naum, came to Ohrid and founded a school that spread Slavic writing and the Slavic church across the Balkans, and Ohrid was later called the Jerusalem of the Slavs; locals say it once had three hundred and sixty-five churches, one for every day. The old town climbs a hill over the lake. Two hours, steep; bring water.
Live camera
A short history of Ohrid
In antiquity the city was called Lychnidos, and it lay on the Roman road, the Via Egnatia. In 886 Clement, a disciple of Cyril and Methodius, came here and founded a school where he taught the Slavic script to thousands of pupils. At the end of the 10th century Ohrid was the capital of Tsar Samuel, and the Bulgarian patriarch had his seat here. In 1395 it was captured by the Ottomans. Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world, more than a million years old; in 1979 it was declared a World Heritage Site, and a year later the city was added to it.
The ten best sights in Ohrid
1Old Plane TreeA plane tree said to be nine hundred years old, in the bazaar
2St SophiaThe eleventh-century cathedral and its frescoes
3Robev HouseA merchant mansion of 1827, now a museum
4Upper GateThe old town gate on the hill
-
5Perivlepta
A church of 1295 painted by artists who signed their names
-
6Icon Gallery
Byzantine icons beside Perivlepta
7Ancient TheatreA Hellenistic theatre in the old town, used for summer shows
-
8Samuel’s Fortress
Walk the walls at the top of the town
9PlaošnikSt Clement’s church and the first Slavic school
10St John at KaneoThe little church on the cliff over the lake; sunset
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Ohrid →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ohrid:
Free walking tours in Ohrid
The Jerusalem of the Slavs
In 886 two disciples of Cyril and Methodius, Clement and Naum, came to Ohrid and founded a school that spread Slavic writing and the Slavic church across the Balkans, and Ohrid was later called the Jerusalem of the Slavs; locals say it once had three hundred and sixty-five churches, one for every day. The old town climbs a hill over the lake. Two hours, steep; bring water.
- Old Plane Tree · In the middle of the bazaar stands a huge hollow plane tree that the town says is about nine hundred years old. Its trunk once held a tiny café. The bazaar street below it runs down to the lake, lined with shops selling Ohrid pearls, made not from oysters but from the scales of a small fish of the lake.
- St Sophia · The cathedral of the archbishops of Ohrid, built in the eleventh century. Under the Ottomans it became a mosque, and its frescoes were covered in whitewash — which preserved them. They were uncovered in the twentieth century and are among the finest Byzantine paintings of their time.
- Robev House · A tall merchant’s house of 1827, white with a wooden upper storey hanging out over the street, typical of Ohrid. It now holds the archaeological museum, and next door a workshop still makes paper by hand and prints on a copy of Gutenberg’s press.
- Perivlepta · The frescoes of this church of 1295 were painted by Michael and Eutychios, and they signed their names in the paintings — some of the first painters of the Byzantine world known by name. Next door the icon gallery holds some of the finest Byzantine icons in the Balkans.
- Ancient Theatre · A Greek theatre of about the second century BC, later used by the Romans for gladiator fights. It lay buried under houses until it was uncovered in the twentieth century, and now hosts the summer festival.
- Samuel’s Fortress · Around the year 1000 Ohrid was the capital of Tsar Samuel, whose empire fought Byzantium. In 1014 the Byzantine emperor Basil II captured his army and blinded thousands of prisoners, leaving one man in each hundred with one eye to lead the others home; Samuel is said to have died of the shock when he saw them. The walls at the top of the town can be walked.
St Clement to Kaneo
On the western slope of the hill stand the church of St Clement, rebuilt on the site of his school, and below it, on a cliff over the water, the little church of Kaneo, the picture of Ohrid. The walk goes down a path through pines and along a boardwalk on the lake. An hour; best in the late afternoon, ending at sunset.
- Upper Gate · The main gate of the medieval town, on the road up from the bazaar. Through it the lane leads past old houses with wooden upper floors, built to lean toward each other over the street.
- Icon Gallery · The collection gathers icons from the churches of Ohrid, painted over five centuries; the finest, from the fourteenth century, came from Constantinople. Among them is a double-sided icon of the Annunciation carried in processions.
- Samuel’s Fortress · From the walls you see the whole lake, about thirty kilometres long, with the mountains of Albania on the far shore. Lake Ohrid is among the oldest lakes in the world, more than a million years old, and holds species of fish and snails found nowhere else.
- Plaošnik · Here Clement built a church and a school in the late ninth century, where thousands of students were taught to read and write in Slavic; he is buried here. The church was turned into a mosque, fell to ruin, and was rebuilt in 2002 on the old foundations, beside fifth-century mosaics.
- St John at Kaneo · A small thirteenth-century church on a rock over the lake, with a dome and a red-tiled roof, and the water deep blue below. It is the most photographed view in North Macedonia, and the sunset behind it is the reason to come.
- Old Bazaar · The path along the water returns by boardwalk under the cliffs to the harbour and the bazaar. In the evening the whole town walks along the lake promenade, and the fishermen’s boats offer short rides to Kaneo.
Along the lake to St Naum
South of Ohrid the eastern shore runs thirty kilometres under the Galičica mountain to the monastery of St Naum at the Albanian border, past beaches, fishing villages and a Bronze Age village on stilts. A full day; by car, or one way by boat.
- Lagadin · The first beaches south of town, of fine pebbles and clear water. Lake Ohrid is so clear that visibility can reach over twenty metres.
- Bay of Bones · Divers found thousands of wooden piles on the lake bed here, from a village of about 1200 to 600 BC built on a platform over the water. Part of it has been rebuilt on stilts, with a museum, and the bones of animals eaten by its people gave the bay its name.
- Galičica · A road climbs to a pass on the mountain between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, from which you can see both lakes at once. Prespa lies about a hundred and fifty metres higher, and its water drains to Ohrid through underground channels in the mountain.
- Trpejca · The last fishing village of the shore to keep its old shape, a cluster of houses on a small bay long reached mainly by boat. Fishing for the lake’s famous endemic trout has been restricted to save it.
- Ljubaništa · A village with the longest sandy beach on the lake, near the Albanian border. In summer it fills with families from all over the country.
- St Naum Monastery · Naum founded this monastery in 905 and is buried in its church; pilgrims put an ear to his tomb, saying they hear his heart still beating. Beside it the springs that feed the lake rise from the ground, and boatmen row visitors over the clear green pools; peacocks wander the courtyard.
Getting to Ohrid and getting around
- Ohrid Airport · Fifteen minutes to town; Skopje airport is three hours by road
Cheap eats in Ohrid
Macedonian food is cheap, hearty and full of peppers. Tavče gravče is white beans baked in a clay dish with red pepper — the national dish; ajvar is a spread of roasted red peppers made in every household in autumn; šopska salad is tomato, cucumber and grated white cheese. Burek with yoghurt is breakfast. The wine is Vranec, a dark red, and rakija opens the meal. A plate of tavče gravče costs a couple of euro.
- Old Bazaar · Tavče gravče and burek in the lanes
- Trpejca · Lake fish in a village tavern
- Struga · Eels and the riverside cafés
- Vevčani · Mountain food by the springs
- Elšani · Home cooking in a mountain village
- St Naum Monastery · Lunch by the springs
Museums in Ohrid
Ohrid is a museum city: Byzantine frescoes and icons, a Hellenistic theatre, a Bronze Age village in the lake, and a workshop that still makes paper by hand.
- Icon Gallery · Byzantine icons of five centuries
- Robev House · The archaeology of the lake
- Bay of Bones · A stilt village over the water
- Paper Workshop · Hand-made paper and a Gutenberg press
- Ancient Theatre · The Hellenistic theatre
Nature and day trips near Ohrid
Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, fed mostly by underground springs, and its clear water holds hundreds of species found nowhere else. Above it Galičica national park rises between two lakes.
- Galičica · Two lakes from one pass
- St Naum Monastery · The springs by rowing boat
- Vevčani · Mountain springs above the village
- Struga · The Black Drim leaving the lake
- Lagadin · Clear water beaches
Things to do in Ohrid with kids
Children enjoy the lake: boat rides, warm shallow beaches in summer, a stilt village, peacocks and a rowing boat over the springs.
- Bay of Bones · The village on stilts
- St Naum Monastery · Peacocks and a boat on the springs
- Ljubaništa · A long sandy beach
- Samuel’s Fortress · Walk the castle walls
- Paper Workshop · Watch paper being made
Holy places in Ohrid
Ohrid is one of the holy places of Orthodox Christianity, where Slavic letters and the Slavic church spread from, and its lake shore is lined with monasteries and cave churches.
- Plaošnik · The grave of St Clement
- St Sophia · The archbishops’ cathedral
- Perivlepta · Signed frescoes of 1295
- Kališta · Cave churches in the cliff
- Radožda · The cave church over the water
- St Naum Monastery · The saint’s beating heart
Nightlife in Ohrid
In summer Ohrid fills with Macedonians on holiday, and the nights are on the lake promenade, in beach bars and at the summer festival in the ancient theatre. Struga holds an international poetry festival every August.
- Old Bazaar · The lake promenade at night
- Ancient Theatre · Ohrid Summer Festival concerts
- St John at Kaneo · Sunset drinks under the church
- Struga · The Struga Poetry Evenings
Frequently asked questions about Ohrid
What is there to see in Ohrid?
The top sights in Ohrid are Old Plane Tree, St Sophia and Robev House. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Ohrid?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ohrid without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Ohrid?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ohrid, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Jerusalem of the Slavs.
How do you get to Ohrid and get around?
The main ways are Ohrid Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Ohrid, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ohrid that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Ohrid for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.