Guided by an experienced guide, born in Ohrid, you will visit the City of Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for being one of Europe's oldest human settlements and for hosting the continent's oldest lake, Ohrid Lake. This journey offers you a rare opportunity to explore the city's wealth of unique historical, cultural, and natural treasures— from the oldest Slav monastery, St. Pantelejmon, and over 800 Byzantine-style icons, to endemic species found only in Lake Ohrid and prehistoric pile dwellings, highlighting the region’s unmatched significance.
We pride ourselves on being punctual, flexible, safe, and responsible, ensuring you enjoy an exceptional and memorable experience.
Please wait in the hotel's lobby for our driver/tour guide to come. He will be wearing a tour guide license tag. In addition, he will ask for you at the reception. If you ask for a different picking-up point, accessible by car/minivan, you will see the logo of of our company name on both doors of the vehicle. Please kindly wait 15 extra minutes in case of trafic.
Traditional breakfast (mekica, Yogurt, chees) on a half way toward Ohrid. Mountain Pass 1200 above the sea.
Sightseeing tour of the old city of Ohrid which includes - the city port; - the Cirillo and Methodius Monuments; - St Clement & Naum; - Cross Jumper; - St Sophia Cathedral Church; - St John Caneo Church; - Plaosnic; - Samuels Fortress; - St. Mother of God Perivleptos; - Chinar; - Corso; - Boat Tour; Traditional Breakfast at Straza; Optional: - St Naum Monastery and Black Drim Springs; - Podgradec, Albania and coffee stop;
We will start the familiarisation with the Ohrid on a Boat Tour near the old City. The Lake Ohrid is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, with a unique aquatic ecosystem of worldwide importance, with more than 200 endemic species. North Macedonia's side of Lake Ohrid was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, with the site being extended to also include the cultural and historic area of Ohrid in 1980. In 2010, NASA named one of Titan's lakes after it. In 2014, the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve between Albania and North Macedonia was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Albania's side of Lake Ohrid was also designated UNESCO world heritage status in 2019. North Macedonia's portion was designated as a protected Ramsar site in 2021, passing all nine criteria for proclamation. In North Macedonia, a portion of the lakeside is part of the Galičica National Park.
The Church of Saint Sophia is a church in Ohrid is one of the most important monuments of North Macedonia, housing architecture and art from the Middle Ages. The current church was built on the foundations of a metropolitan cathedral demolished in the first decade of the 6th century by the barbarian invasions that brought the early Slavs into the region. It was basically rebuilt in the last decade of the 10th century as a patriarchal cathedral in the form of a dome basilica, during the reign of Tsar Samuil an autocephalous Patriarchate. Later it became a seat of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, under the Patriarchate of Constantinople until the 18th century.
Saint John the Theologian, Kaneo is a Macedonian Orthodox church situated on the cliff over Kaneo Beach overlooking Lake Ohrid. The church is dedicated to John of Patmos, the writer of Revelation, who has been by some considered to be the same person as John the Apostle. The construction date of the church remains unknown but documents detailing the church property suggest that it was built before the year 1447. Archaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century. Restoration work in 1964 led to the discovery of frescoes in its dome.
In the middle ages, the main square of the old city of Ohrid was on Plaosnik. Here you will see the church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon, built by Saint Clement of Ohrid - a disciple of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. According to archaeologists, the church is situated on the site where the first students of the Glagolitic alphabet were taught between the IX- X century.
Samuel's Fortress is a fortress in the old town of Ohrid, North Macedonia. It was the capital during the rule of Tsar Samuel at the turn of the 11th century. Today, this historical monument is a major tourist attraction and was heavily restored in 2003 with the addition of entirely new battlements where none had survived. According to recent excavations by Macedonian archaeologists, it was contended that this fortress was built on the place of an earlier fortification, dated to the 4th century BC, which was probably built by King Philip II of Macedon. During the late 900s, King Samuil restored the fortress by rebuilding it into a medieval style stronghold which still stands as is today.
The oldest tree in Macedonia is the Platanus Orientalis in Ohrid. Whether a coincidence or not, the tree is growing since St. Clement of Ohrid period, in the 9th century. Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, growing to 30 m and known for its longevity and spreading crown.The name derives from its historical distribution eastward from the Balkans, where it was recognized in ancient Greek history and literature. Following Greek usage it is called platane or related names in continental Europe. It was equally famous to the Iranian-speaking world and from Turkey to India is called chinar.
On the south-east side of Lake Ohrid, past the village Lubanishta and close to the border with Albania, you will find the Monastery of St Naum. It is a really stunning site, on a cliff high above the lake. Saints Clement (840-916) and Naum (835-910) were native Macedonians. Both had been disciples of the brothers Kiril and Metodi, the inventors of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic scripts. Clement founded the Monastery of St Clement in Ohrid, and invited his former fellow disciple Naum to help him teach the scriptures. Many pupils passed through the monastery and the numbers became so demanding that Naum set up the Monastery of St Naum in 900, at the other end of Lake Ohrid. In 1799 the tiny chapel over St Naums underground tomb was built. If you listen very well above the tomb, they say that you still can hear the heartbeat of St Naum. Touching the stone above the tomb should make a wish come true.
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You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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