{"id":120508,"date":"2023-10-24T07:59:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T07:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/?p=120508"},"modified":"2023-10-24T07:59:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T07:59:02","slug":"discovering-lake-ohrid-a-budget-friendly-gem-in-north-macedonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/travel\/discovering-lake-ohrid-a-budget-friendly-gem-in-north-macedonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovering Lake Ohrid, a budget-friendly gem in North Macedonia"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Lure of the lake: Ohrid in North Macedonia not only offers a fascinating history but delicious wines and terrific value for money\u00a0<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The lake is\u00a0a &#8216;pin-up pretty&#8217; spot in landlocked North Macedonia, Sarah Holt finds<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8216;Its main town \u2013 also called Ohrid \u2013 is fascinating,&#8217; Sarah reveals\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>READ MORE: A spook-tacular dive inside America&#8217;s &#8216;most haunted small town&#8217;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After telling my mum that I\u2019ll treat her to dinner by the lake, I start to panic. She picks out a low-lit waterside restaurant where the tables are dressed in white linen, the waiting staff sport bow ties and waistcoats, and lobster is on the menu\u2026<\/p>\n<p>And when the bill comes, my eyes do widen in disbelief \u2013 three courses each and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon rings up at just \u00a356.<\/p>\n<p>This turns out to be typical of Lake Ohrid, a little-known spot in landlocked North Macedonia.<\/p>\n<p>The value for money is just one of a long list of its lures.<\/p>\n<p>The Balkans destination \u2013 largely overlooked by UK tourists \u2013 is swimming in history, pin-up pretty, and a surprising rising star of the wine world.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/21\/15\/76837073-12656167-image-a-9_1697898880873.jpg\" height=\"302\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Sarah Holt travels to Lake Ohrid,\u00a0a little-known spot in landlocked North Macedonia<\/p>\n<p>Its main town \u2013 also called Ohrid \u2013 is fascinating. My mum and I join a walking tour that overruns by two hours because our guide, Vlado, has so much to say about its history.<\/p>\n<p>He shows us the city gates that were originally built in the 4th Century BC; he tells us about the 14th Century \u2018hospital churches\u2019 where plague patients were quarantined; he introduces us to the 18th Century townhouses that were built in inverted pyramidal shapes to give their inhabitants extra space; he takes us to the Hellenistic amphitheatre that was discovered accidentally in the 1980s; and he guides us inside the 13th Century Church of Our Lady Most Glorious, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of Macedonia for its intricate ceiling frescoes.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re staying at the 130-room Unique Resort &amp; Spa, a 20-minute lakeside walk from the Old Town. Backed by fir-fuzzed mountains, it\u2019s in a pin-drop quiet part of Ohrid, yet close enough to the bustle of the centre to keep things interesting. It\u2019s fully booked during our stay, but we never struggle to find a sun lounger by the pool.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/23\/16\/76898631-12656167-image-m-16_1698076094019.jpg\" height=\"348\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The lake&#8217;s main town \u2013 called Ohrid (above) \u2013 is &#8216;fascinating&#8217;. Sarah writes: &#8216;My mum and I join a walking tour that overruns by two hours because our guide, Vlado, has so much to say about its history&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/21\/09\/76831609-12656167-image-a-15_1697876611297.jpg\" height=\"457\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Prehistoric: Sarah sails past the Bay of Bones (above), a replica of a stilted, over-the-water settlement that existed in prehistoric times<\/p>\n<p>Our history lesson continues the next day, during a boat trip along the east shore of the lake. We sail past the Bay of Bones, a replica of a stilted, over-the-water settlement that existed in prehistoric times, and visit the hilltop Monastery of Saint Naum where murals depict the miracles performed by the 10th Century missionary.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s during this boat trip that mum and I comment on how untouched much of the land around Ohrid is. The entire south-east shore of the lake is edged by the Galicica National Park \u2013 an 87 sq mile ellipse of forest that\u2019s latticed with walking trails.<\/p>\n<p>Novice walkers might feel more confident taking a guide to explore this landscape, as the trails aren\u2019t all well signposted, but more experienced hikers can navigate tracks that lead to 5,900 ft mountain peaks and unpeopled plateaus that are perfect for wild camping.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/23\/13\/76890577-12656167-image-a-1_1698063694243.jpg\" height=\"487\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Sarah visits the hilltop Monastery of Saint Naum (above) and finds that it&#8217;s embellished with\u00a0 murals\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/21\/17\/76831607-12656167-Above_is_a_mural_in_the_hilltop_Monastery_of_Saint_Naum-a-13_1697905012176.jpg\" height=\"204\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>A beautiful mural in the Monastery of Saint Naum<\/p>\n<p>As pretty hopeless hikers, we find another way of getting out into the greenery of Lake Ohrid \u2013 a visit to the Monastery Winery. Set among the hazel, fir and beech trees at the end of a narrow track, it is exactly as its name suggests \u2013 a monastery that produces wine and offers tours and tastings.<\/p>\n<p>Sitting beside the purring stream that is used to cool the wine tanks in summer, we try a floral muscat, a semillon with a hint of pear, and a chocolaty vranac and graze on a platter of cheeses, meats and traditional dips such as ajvar \u2013 made from smoked red peppers and aubergine.<\/p>\n<p>Later in our trip, keen to find out more about the country\u2019s wines, we venture to Villa and Winery Mal Sveti Kliment, a winery and bar in the Old Town. Run by experts Almir and Elena \u2013 of the Wine &amp; Spirit Education Trust regulatory board \u2013 this place is a library of North Macedonian wines.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/21\/09\/76831615-12656167-image-a-16_1697876615554.jpg\" height=\"420\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Holy water: One morning, Sarah takes a stroll to the 13th Century St John\u2019s Church (above), which overlooks Lake Ohrid<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/21\/15\/76837071-12656167-image-a-12_1697899105765.jpg\" height=\"460\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Sarah stays at the\u00a0Unique Resort &amp; Spa (pictured), which is a 20-minute lakeside walk from\u00a0Ohrid\u2019s Old Town<\/p>\n<p>The pair introduce us to a crisp new sparkling from the Vardar River Valley region as well as the winery\u2019s own salmon-pink ros\u00e9, which is made from the ancient pamid grape variety in clay amphora pots underground. It tastes like a delicious bowl of summer strawberries.<\/p>\n<p>To clear our heads the following morning, we follow the boardwalk that clings to the cliffs by the side of the lake, just beyond Ohrid\u2019s centre. We trace the wooden walkway up to a hilltop where cigar-shaped cypress trees stand sentry over 13th Century St John\u2019s Church and take a rest on a picnic bench looking out over the 138 sq mile lake.<\/p>\n<p>We can see Albania in the distance. I muse that Lake Ohrid may not be at the forefront of the minds of most UK tourists just yet, but the experiences we\u2019ve had ensure it\u2019s been indelibly inked into mine.<\/p>\n<h3>TRAVEL FACTS\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Tui offers seven nights\u2019 B&amp;B, staying at the Unique Resort &amp; Spa, from \u00a3619pp. Price is based on two adults sharing a double room, with flights departing Manchester on June 5, 2024, and includes transfers (tui.co.uk).<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/travel\/article-12656167\/Lure-lake-Ohrid-North-Macedonia-not-offers-fascinating-history-delicious-wines-terrific-value-money.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lure of the lake: Ohrid in North Macedonia not only offers a fascinating history but delicious wines and terrific value for money\u00a0 The lake is\u00a0a &#8216;pin-up pretty&#8217; spot in landlocked<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Discovering Lake Ohrid, a budget-friendly gem in North Macedonia - cottontailsonline.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/travel\/discovering-lake-ohrid-a-budget-friendly-gem-in-north-macedonia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Discovering Lake Ohrid, a budget-friendly gem in North Macedonia - cottontailsonline.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lure of the lake: Ohrid in North Macedonia not only offers a fascinating history but delicious wines and terrific value for money\u00a0 The lake is\u00a0a &#8216;pin-up pretty&#8217; 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