Location information

Ochrida

OHRID (Town) NORTH MACEDONIA
  The town of Ochrida is the cultural thorax and constitutes a town-Museum. A town which is usually mentioned as a "Balkan Boursalim" (whetstone), a town spread in the banks of the lake Ochrida, with many natural and cultural beauties. The Saints Clementios and Naoum are the founders of the famous Biblical School of Orhrida, which was a developmental ecclesiastic-cultural and biblical centre one of first in Europe. From the numerous cultural and historical monuments in Ochrida, we distinguish the church of Saint Sophia (11th century), which is today the most important monument in FYROM, the church of Virgin Mary the Salient (St Clementios 13th century, together with the rich collection of icons). In this church, rest in peace the corps of St. Clementios. The church of Saint John (Jovan) Kaneo (13th century), which prevails over the lake, allows us to admire the wonderful view.
  The Monastery of St. Naoum (10th century, the church was built later), thirty kilometres away from the town of Ochrida, was built on a high rock over the lake.
  Over the town stands imposingly the fortress of Samuel.
  Ochrida is a town where really exists a series of works of old urban architecture of the 19th century, such as the houses of the Rompevi family of Ukraine and others.
  The bazaar of Ochrida is well known, with many commercial shops numerous workshops, which existed in the past and they still operate in the town. The shops are built from hewn stones and they sell various goods. Today, in many of these one can find souvenirs, which represent the land of Ochrida and remarkable miniatures of items. Each year, the town hosts the famous festival "Summer of Ochrida". A great number of tourists from the whole country and from abroad visit the area of Ochrida. In the west, towards the Albanian borders, the real jewels of the beauty of Ochrida reveal. The crystal waters and the mountainous landscapes mix together with the wonderful forests.
  Near the town and on the edges of the mountain Petrino rises the village Velestvo, with a beautiful view to the lake. It allows tourist visits and gives the opportunity to the visitor to be acquainted with the life and the customs of the inhabitants. Besides that, here lie the wonderful beaches of Koritsa and St. Stephanos.
  One of the most beautiful corners of the lake of Ochrida is the Penisnsula Grandiste, with a wonderful and modern equipped camping, which divides the two fishing village Pestani and Trpeotsa. In these fishing villages, tourists have the opportunity to taste the excellent grilled trout or giomlezed of Ochrida, especially roasted with a cover. In the villages Trpeotsa and Lioubanista, up in the borders, there is an earthy paradise, St. Naoum with its sandy beach, sprouts, the river Tchrn Drim, the church, the monastery hostels and hotels, which provide accommodation for tourists, and there is also the famous cave-like churches, such as the one of Virgin Mary Pestanska, near the village Pestani, and the one of St. Stephanos Pantsir near Goritsa.
This text (extract) is cited April 2003 from the Prefecture of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.