I picked Ohrid as a destination for a long weekend trip because of travel blogs. Adventurous Kate inspired me most, but there were others that fueled my desire to visit this tiny town in the country nowadays called North Macedonia. This post will give you an idea of what to plan when you’re there for four days.

How to get there?

It’s not easy to get to Ohrid actually. Only a few airlines fly directly there, most of them are part of holiday packages. I booked my flight with Corendon. If you fly to Ohrid, it’s a short transfer by taxi to the city centre.

I could’ve booked my hotel as part of the holiday package, I decided not to do that though because I found a lovely (and cheap) hotel at a central location that suited my needs perfectly. I stayed at Villa Mesokastro. They don’t serve breakfast, but the family running the hotel is incredibly nice and as I said the location is perfect is near the centre but still in a quiet part of town.

Day 1

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that I always prefer to start any visit in a city with a walking tour. I usually book free walking tours like the ones I did in Berlin, Sofia or St Petersburg; but I can also guide myself which I did in Ohrid.

There are a few sights worth mentioning.

The start of this walking tour is the little harbour with the benches where you could (if you enjoy your breakfast).

Church of St. Sophia
Quite near to this park is the church of St. Sophia.

The interior of the church has been preserved with frescoes from the 11th, 12th and 13th century. A fun fact is that you can find one of the frescoes of this church on the Macedonian 1000 denars bank note.

St. John the Theologian
The most famous spot of Ohrid, is the location of St. John the Theologian church. The best way to reach this church is through the main street (along the water). If you start at the harbour, you have to keep the water on your left.

I didn’t actually explore the insides of this church, because I didn’t feel it would be the kind of Christian Orthodox I like. Instead I roamed around the outside an took photos from multiple view points.

Samuel’s Fortress
If you walk up the hill through the forest you’ll reach Samuel’s Fortress which is perched beautifully on top of the hill. The fortress itself is mostly ruins, but it’s nice to walk around in it for a while.

Ancient Theatre
Who doesn’t like an ancient theatre that resembles the one in Rome, but isn’t quite like it. This one is actually more similar to the one in Plovdiv, Bulgaria but it’s a nice sight nevertheless. For some reason, there are always groups singing inside the ancient theatres when I reach them. What’s that about?

Saint Pantelejmon/Saint Kliment
Another church worth visiting. This church is surrounded by ruins, so it’s quite nice to escape inside when you’re hounded by the sun.

Day 2

St Naum
I would advise you to spend the econd day travelling to and from St. Naum. It takes quite a while to reach this formerly hidden monastery. It’s on the other side of Lake Ohrid, near Albania.

There are three ways to reach the monastery: by car (rental or taxi), by bus or by boat. I picked the boat. When you’re staying near one of the deepest lakes in Europe, you might as well take a boat trip on it right?

I thought I was doing the local thing by picking a random boat, but really it was filled with tourists and group tours. It’s almost impossible to escape the tourists in Ohrid; hence my frustration with this little town.

St. Naum is a beautiful church, but it gets busy. I was standing cramped with around 50 people inside the tiny building. If you’re claustrophobic this is not the best place for you to be. There’s a separate room where you can hear the “heartbeat” of the saint inside a rock. I figured since I’m there I might as well queue for it, and even though it was worth the wait it still wasn’t very pleasant.

The area surrounding St. Naum is twofold. On the one hand there’s a forested area which is almost completely void of people. On the other hand there’s a promenade near the water filled with bars and restaurants where people are lounging, drinking and listening to loud music.

St. Naum is not hidden from public anymore.

At the end of the day, you can take the same boat back to Ohrid town.

Day 3

Remember how I told you to walk with the water on your left-hand side to reach the church of St. John? Today we are going to walk with the water on the other side. If you walk in that direction for about 30 minutes, you’ll find bars that aren’t quite as busy as the ones in the city centre.

There’s a nice chill vibe and beach bars with comfortable lounges and seating areas. It’s a nice way to spend the third day.

Don’t forget to take in the view from the pier on your way there.

Day 4

I have written a whole post about day 4, because this is where we leave the town altogether to explore the off-the-beaten-track parts of Ohrid and its region. I visited hidden abandoned villages and enjoyed otherworldly views over both Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid. These stops are completely away from the tourist scene of Ohrid.

What Else?

You could do as I did, or you could go on a tour. Get Your Guide offers day trips to some of the sights I have mentioned on this post and others.

• Ohrid Half-Day City Tour

Conclusion

I didn’t have an easy time in Ohrid. I had a bit of a travel burn out. In five weeks time, I was away for a weekend in Trier, the Veluwe in the Netherlands, Rhodes and then Ohrid. I was actually tired of exploring. The masses of tourists in Ohrid didn’t make it any better, and the fact that I was travelling alone didn’t lift my mood either. The thing that annoyed me most were the wasps. I couldn’t sit on a terrace without multiple wasps swerving around me. They scare me and I had to jump away multiple times.

That having been said, there are more than enough sights worth seeing in Ohrid. Looking back, I enjoyed my visit. I just couldn’t enjoy fully when I was there, but that’s also OK sometimes.