Reid & Robie

Macedonia, of course, is part of Greece, yet I have decided to classify it apart.

– Strabo

Rounding out our tour of the southwestern Balkans, Robie and I visited North Macedonia in July.

Though the country lies on Albania’s eastern border wedged between Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Kosovo, no one we met had been to North Macedonia or were talking about visiting. And like most people, we didn’t know much about the place. So, for a little context we put together a list of interesting facts about this tiny Balkan nation.

1. North Macedonia is the only member of the former Yugoslavia to gain independence peacefully.
2. Alexander the Great was born in Macedonia, then a part of Greece.
3. In the 9^th century the Cyrillic alphabet was invented by two brothers from Macedonia.
4. The capital of Skopje has been inhabited since the Neolithic era.
5. The Kokino Observatory in North Macedonia is an ancient astronomical site once used by Bronze Age people to mark the position of the sun during the solstices and equinoxes.
6. North Macedonia is home to Lake Ohrid, one of the deepest and oldest lakes in Europe.

Ohrid Summer Festival

Looking to escape the summer heat in Sarandё, Robie and I were lured to Lake Ohrid, 2,300 feet (695 meters) above sea level and surrounded by tall peaks that offered cool mountain breezes. Little did we know our visit coincided with the start of the Ohrid Summer Festival, a six-week international music and stage festival featuring concerts, poetry readings, ballets, symphonies and plays. And when the opening ceremonies took place in the Ancient Macedonian Theater near our apartment, we were close enough to enjoy the music from our private garden patio.

Setting up for the festivities at the Ancient Macedonian Theater in Ohrid

Samuel Fortress

Like every ancient city in the Balkans, Ohrid has a fortress overlooking the old town. Rebuilt in the 10^th century, Samuel Fortress was constructed on the foundations of an earlier fortification dating from the 4^th century BC and built by Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great.

Samuel Fortress overlooking Ohrid

Jerusalem of the Balkans

Two places are known as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans,” Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina renowned for religious tolerance, and tiny Ohrid for its 365 churches, one for every day of the year. A center for Christian teachings since Byzantine times, Ohrid is home to the oldest Slavic monastery in the world.

Lake Ohrid

Since we’d come to Ohrid to enjoy the lake, we spent a lot of time on its shores.

Formed when the land between two parallel faults sank, Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake in the Balkans with a depth of 935 feet (288 meters). Known for its exceptional clarity, water visibility can reach up to 72 feet (22 meters) making it possible to glimpse the famous Ohrid trout, a “living fossil” with distinct red spots and pink flesh.

Friends in Ohrid

Of course, we made a few friends in Ohrid too. Because no trip in the Balkans would be complete without them!

Thanks for joining us on a tour of Ohrid, North Macedonia. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!