Lake Ohrid, Macedonia, August 2022

Bulgaria – Skopje

My first day trip from Skopje was to Lake Ohrid, the oldest and deepest in Europe. I heard a lot about the lake’s beauty and could not wait to see it.

The bus ride took 5 hours to Ohrid, the city on the lake shores. I walked from the bus station to the lake. Well, it was a lake, with water in it. Every lake looks pretty in its own way. Water always attracts people whether it is in the form of a sea or a stream but I failed to see anything extraordinary about this lake. Perhaps, it was because I live in Colorado where we have dozens of mountain lakes of breathtaking beauty surrounded by snowy peaks. When I did not sing praises of Lake Orchid in my Facebook post right after visiting the lake, people who loved it threw rotten tomatoes at me. With due respect, everyone is entitled to have their own opinion.

Tourist boats
Tourist boats

The beach in Ohrid is not for swimming. The boats take visitors to St. Naum, the ancient monastery near the border with Albania. The swimming area is just before the monastery. I did not have time to go to St. Naum and had to limit myself to seeing Ohrid.

Fun activities for kids include going down in a red submarine
Fun activities for kids include going down in a red submarine
The Church of St. Nicholas was built in 1313. It had dormitories that served as quarantine stations for city visitors during the plague. After the Turks came, they were turned into hospital rooms.
The Church of St. Nicholas was built in 1313. It had dormitories that served as quarantine stations for city visitors during the plague. After the Turks came, they were turned into hospital rooms.
This is a regular residential house built in 1855. Its owner chose to style it like a medieval tower.
This is a regular residential house built in 1855. Its owner chose to style it like a medieval tower.

I had lunch in the old town and headed back to the station to take the bus to Skopje. I did not regret going to Lake Orhid. However, it was not an exciting trip as I expected it to be.

Pristina, Kosovo

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