From Tirana : Visit Ohrid , Struga / North Macedonia
Departure from Tirana to explore Ohrid Lake and its two beautiful cities located in North Macedonia. Ohrid is a city that has many cultural and natural attractions to visit. Our journey will start with the Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon(Attributed to Saint Clement of Ohrid, a disciple of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius) the church dates from Byzantine, the location standing on a hill overlooking Lake Ohrid. The next stop is the Church of Saint Sophia, a very important monument for North Macedonia, housing architecture and art from the Middle Ages. Very close to the Upper Gate of Samuel’s Fortress, you can find the Ancient Theatre of Ohrid. Built-in 200 BC, it served as a venue for performances and gladiator fights. Later, it became the site of Christian executions by the Romans. This caused the locals to despise the theatre, so after the fall of the Roman Empire, they decided to abandon and bury it. We will reach the highest peak at Samuel's Fortress. This fortress was built on the place of an earlier fortification, dated to the 4th century BC, which was probably built by King Philip II of Macedonia, It was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the rule of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria at the turn of the 11th century. Nowadays the fortress is a major tourist attraction where you can enjoy exceptional panoramic views of Lake Ohrid and the old town. We will return down at our beginning spot through Ohrid Boardwalk which connects the old town with Potpesh beach. As you walk alongside a cliff, surrounded by crystal clear waters, it’s the perfect place to take a moment to appreciate the natural beauty of Ohrid. Free time to have a coffee and enjoy the Old Bazaar full of souvenir shops and good local restaurants. As we return to Albania our last stop will be Struga City lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. Struga is the place where the river leaves the lake and flows through the town. You can take a walk along one of the river banks full of small cafes and enjoy the picturesque town.