Travel tips: Impressive North Macedonia

LAKE ORHID 

Arriving in Macedonia, at Orhid airport the under development is immediately apparent. The runway is short and the pilot must turn the plan around after landing to park.  The airport is tiny, wth two gates, which is noisy when leaving as it holds a. tiny kiosk and duty free shop. Passport control takes a while and they seem to be struggling with the sudden tourist boom! Outside, there are tiny little huts for car hire and two cafes, really cute and quaint.  

 

St Johns of Kaneo church

The place to stay in Macedonia is on Lake Orhid. It is the Jerusalem of the Balkans because it used to hold 365 churches, one for every day of the year.  The lake is the biggest tourist attraction in Macedonia and there are still many churches built on the lake banks where mother nature blends in beautifully. It is completely encircled by huge mountain rock cliffs. 

 No jet skis only a few boats all day

Ohrid has been a UNESCO world heritage status since 1980 and this is because of the ancient frescos dating back to the Renaissance of 1295.  Important monastries are St Naum, St. Clemens, St. Sophia and St. John of Caneo. On the Orhid city hill lies the only gate to the old city gives a broad overview over the citadel.  Further away is the Holy Mother complex Perivlepta from the 13th century, the church of St Constantine en Helena 15th century which hosts an icon gallery of Byzantian style.

 

 

The Orhid city tour takes you through the old city and you have to get there by bus or car as the hill is high and that's where it starts with two old monasteries.  The small side museum holds coins and artifacts found in excavations in the area, plus iconia frescoes. Up and down over the hills overlooking the lake, the tour takes you through the ancient Roman antique theatre from before the birth of Christ and to the top of the highest hill  where the Samuel fort and walls lie. A further walk down and past woods, with gorgeous views over the lake's  coastal riviera brings you to the another stunning view point Plaosnik and perhaps the most well known.  This is a huge rock close to the fishing city of Kaneo and holds the famous orthodox landmark church St Johns of Kaneo.  (First photo)

 Views walking to St Johns of Kaneo

 

 The walk below has a good path until the water's edge and then it turns into a wooden one metre wide bridge, winding around the rock, past quaint cafes,  restaurants and mini rock pools. In the city of Orhid there is the archelogical museum and artifacts of the rich Robveci family to see in the heat of midday. Its stone floors and air conditioning are welcoming and there is a statue of the Isis goddess. The city harbour has two huge statues of St. Cyril en Methodius who were the first Slavic missionaries and thus guardians of Ohrid. Ohrid centre is small with a main street away from the water's edge and park, with cafes, banks, markets, boutiques, galleries and and old bazaar.  Many cafes have cold steam streaming out their pergola beams to cool down because in summer it is hot hot hot! Remember, Macedonia borders the beginning of mainland north Greece, and there is no sea-breeze or island wind.

 

The black and white lamp shade for night lighting is customary all over Orhid

ST NAUM - LAKE ORHID 

Taking a boat from the hotel, a tour takes you to the monastry which is again set on a high cliff rock overlooking the lake. The orthodox priests dressed in black with their caps wander around among the tourists who walk around enjoying the views and gardens which is full of rock fountains and a pagoda.  The chapel is dedicated to angel Michael and Gabriel and holds unique iconic baroque frescoes from the 18th century. St Naum also lies in the protected national park Galicica on the river mouth of Crni Drim which flows out through the lake to Struga which is about a 45 minute sail across the breadth of the lake. Crystal clear Lake Orhid is 675 m above sea level, 297 m deep, 30kms long, 15km wide and has a shoreline length of 87 kms.  Thus, although a lake, it is so big, it feels as if it is the ocean. It might be silent and still when hot with no wind, but the moment a storm and wind comes, there are constant waves at the shoreline.  By the way, St Naum was known not only for his spirituality but he was also a teacher of medicine, hygienic living and other things.

 

St Naum's Monastry built high on the cliff

 

On the way to St Naum there is a short stop at a museum built on water in the Bay of Bones.  It is an archelogical site with a small 13th century Holy Mother Zaumska church, shops and museum. On the water built on poles is a remake of the old Roman military check point modelled on artifacts found in the area, dated back to the 2nd century BC. 

 Bay of Bones and old Roman military museum on the water

 

Inside the rooms 

 

 

   

The old medieval St  Naum Monastry has a peacock walking around, a fountain with special healing water (as old wives' tales tell) and it holds what I think, is the nicest restaurant I have ever visited! The picturesque setting is captured on video but do watch the whole way through otherwise you will miss the whole scene. If you go to St Naum you cannot miss Restaurant Ostrovo!!It is built like the museum in Bay of Bones on water, with beams underneath and the water comes from nearby springs and is crystal clear. On it are little boats, rowing tourists to the springs. 

 

Your table view onto the water

  

The rest of the excursion tour one sails the lake to Struga, past Orhid and St Johns of Kaneo is seen from the water perspective. The water is so clear you see fish and we also saw a small water-snake. About 80cm long but apparently not poisonous. I found swimming in the lake that the fish tickled as they swarm to you thinking you're food!  But the boat cruise is all in all a fantastic day out! Note though, hat, factor 50 sun cream and sunglasses an absolute must. Plus, cool open breathing clothing. T-shirts would certainly be too sticky an affair.

 

 

St John's of Kaneo from afar on the water 

 Make sure you get a lake facing room for your stay in Orhid Macedonia and if you are closer to the Albanian border, you will see the sun set over the lake every night in front of you. 

 

 

As a blazing ball of fire, the sun lights up the water with an orange gleaming, shimmering reflection and then sinks behind the mountains on the other side of the lake around 0730pm.  But the sunset and changing amber light last at least another two hours. It was quite something, really! So before Lake Orhid becomes as popular as Dubrovnik in Croatia, I would plan a holiday there. If you can't handle the heat, take spring, autumn or winter, as I am sure it is just as lovely but just cooler in those seasons. Bon voyage!