The mountains of the Balkans contain a world treasure: Lake Ohrid.  As it happens, the lake is halfway between Tirana and Skopje, which made it a perfect break on our Balkans road trip.  As we learned, this lake is more than the border between Albania and the Republic of Macedonia:  it is one of the world’s most important lakes...and is Europe’s oldest geologically since it dates from the pre-glacial era.

Lake Ohrid is home to over 200 endemic species and is a critical habitat for migratory birds. As such, this is considered the most biologically diverse lake on earth. For this reason, Lake Ohrid was recognized as one of the first one hundred UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  We were seriously disappointed that we didn’t have enough time to go scuba diving in the lake!

However, we learned Lake Ohrid is recognized by UNESCO both for the environment, but also for the incredible cultural contributions of the region.  As it turns out, the town of Ohrid on the banks of the lake is one of the oldest areas of human inhabitation in Europe (and the world).  The town dates from the Bronze Age.

In more recent times, this was an important Greek settlement and the ancient theatre here is one of the largest in the Greek world.  It’s home to a popular summer music festival.  The ‘Golden Age’ of Ohrid was the Tsar period and the fortress on the hill dates from this era (late 10th century).

The highlight of our trip was the Byzantine churches and monasteries that line the shores.  The iconic St. John of Kaneo is one of the most memorable buildings in the world.  The church of St. Sophia in Ohrid and the nearby Monastery of Saint Naum complete the trifecta of incredible buildings.

Lake Ohrid is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Republic of Macedonia, but it is definitely one of the top places to visit in Macedonia.  We would recommend Ohrid to fellow travelers.