A Fantastic Active Week in Europe’s Best Undiscovered Gem: Ohrid

2022 was the year of our great European roadtrip. We found ourselves in Albania at the height of the summer and sought some relief. As our next scheduled stop was going to be Skopje, we scoured the maps for a way of escaping the heat. That’s when we stumbled across Lake Ohrid. The lake straddles Albania and North Macedonia, accommodation looked affordable and the water refreshing and clear. Decision made! And it was one of the best decisions of our trip.

Accommodation

We stayed in the town of Ohrid. This is on the North Macedonian side of the lake. We were hosted by a very friendly family who gave us a bottle of wine from their vineyard and were very proud of the natural spring water that flowed outside their home. The whole time we stayed, people made a pilgrimage to their tap to fill up sometimes pulling up in their cars filled with bottles and pans.

After settling into our accommodation, we were thrilled to find that there were plenty of things to do in Lake Ohrid and its surrounding old town. Swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, paragliding, sailing, boat trips, hiking, mountain biking…our week quickly filled up!

Things to do in Ohrid

Walking

Swimming

Kayaking

Paddleboarding

Paragliding

Dave is a keen paraglider and had spotted the opportunity to try it out on the mountains overlooking the lake. We found a tourist point to ask for more info and within half an hour were in a jeep with Sacha (the instructor) and friends rumbling up loose gravel roads. We scrambled into the back with another paraglider curled up in the boot with all the equipment. After a very short introduction where the main learning seemed to just be to do what we were told, Jon and I were strapped to an instructor each and told to ‘Run!’ It felt like seconds before we were ascending high into the air, caught by thermals. Dave watched from the launch site, trying to find out if he could take a solo flight as he was fully certified. As well as swooping over the mountains, we flew out over the lake. The whole experience was deeply relaxing until coming into land. We saw sunbathers who had ignored the ‘paragliding landing site’ signs. They didn’t flinch as we landed, the parachute falling a metre from them.

Mountain Biking

Jon and Dave opted to take on another adrenaline challenge: mountain biking. I opted to swim, read my book and drink iced coffee instead. They left early to try to make the most of the cooler morning and climbed to 1100m altitude across the Galicia Mountains, dropping into villages and past Tito’s ‘secret’ lake side villa. They saw tortoises and hornets but no other cyclists foolhardy enough to take on the steep gravel paths. Mountain bike hire shops are easy to find in town and seemed to have plenty of availability even in the height of tourist season, so it’s a great thing to do impulsively on a cooler day. Just make sure you have your route well planned before setting off as phone signal dips in and out on the mountain trails.

Boat Trips

The following day, we were looking for a more sedate way to enjoy the lake so caught one of the many boats offering tours of the lake. These can be booked in advance as they are probably the most popular activity on the lake. There are many options, but we opted for a full day experience on a boat with a maximum of 12 passengers. This kept the cost affordable but also made for a comfortable ride on a modern vessel with plenty of space.

Our captain, a 20yr old local with the world weariness of an old sailor, complained at first about the other boats and how badly they’d all parked before speeding out of the harbour. He stopped at various secluded beaches each with small churches and cafes (and a beer vending machine on one beach). We took each opportunity to jump in the water which became clearer the further from town we travelled.

Historic Sites

Our boat trip treated us to a stop at the grimly named ‘Bay of Bones’. An historical re-enactment site of an ancient village on poles built above the water. The water surrounding this UNESCO site was clear as glass. Herodotus described the ancient site, noting that each man who built a hut used as many support poles as he had wives, and that the babies’ legs were tied with string to stop them rolling in the water. For divers, this seemed to be a Mecca with SCUBA gear easily available.

Having been based beneath Ohrid’s fortress throughout our stay, we thought we should attempt the walk up there before we left. Luckily there was a cafe at its base so we could recover from the climb and enjoy a new view over the lake before heading inside. The cafe was a kitsch delight with CRT TVs, cassette tapes, vespas and a team of overworked teenage staff. The boy who served us kept apologising for the delay as he was having to make everything himself. We were more than happy to take our time!

Samuel’s Fortress is a vast 11th century complex that is visible from everywhere on the water. Walking its walls, you can feel what a great vantage point it held. From the top we spotted all our favourite places from the past week including Jon and Dave’s cycling route, swimming areas, paragliders, our guesthouse and the kayak lady. So, it was definitely good that we’d left it to the last minute to bid our fond farewells to the beautiful, unspoilt gem that is Lake Ohrid.

Nightlife

The evenings were filled with music as Ohrid hosts various cultural and arts events year round. We visited in the midst of their summer festival. The first lively bar we stopped at, the duo was performing popular hits that had everyone singing and dancing along. We of course couldn’t understand the lyrics, other than ‘Yugoslavia’. Another four-piece band seemed to be dominated by piercing whistles at every chorus. There was also a Jazz club that we bizarrely saw dogs queuing at during the day. There was a huge parade of youth folk dancers from across the Balkans. Some looking very tired under their heavy, traditional costumes. Others pushing the definition of ‘youth’ with stubble and cans of beer hidden underneath their tunics. The cultural scene in Ohrid includes several concerts, film festivals and art exhibtions.

Each evening we had a choice of many traditional restaurants serving the controversial, rare Ohrid trout and some delicious salads. We were never 100% sure what we’d ordered but enjoyed the fresh vegetables and spicy peppers that were the base of most dishes. The cats were equally keen and always surrounded the table when we were served.

Some other options for day time activities that we didn’t find time for include: horse riding, SCUBA diving and trout fishing. Whatever your interests, you are sure to find plenty of things to do in Ohrid.