The main pride of Macedonia is the Ohrid lake, a magnificent "pearl" in the middle of the mountains, capable of competing with any, most picturesque and replicated "tourist" lake. The huge, located among the amazing rocks, it is not only beautiful, but it is quite suitable in the summer for bathing, as it always warms up in July-August to a comfortable temperature.

Struga is one of the most popular tourist cities in Ohrid . The Black Dream River runs through its center, which connects Ohrid Lake with the Adriatic Sea . The city is small - only 18 thousand . inhabitants .Houses are low, no more than two floors, buried in greenery and flowers . Around - the mountains are unusually beautiful, they do not differ in height or large outcrops of rocky rocks, everything here is soft, harmonious, calm, like in pictures in a children's book . Fascinating and the "entourage" of seemingly endless mountain chains - picturesque villages, bent to the slopes, clean springs, a lot of old churches and monasteries .

How to get there

By bus: you need to go from the Macedonian capital of Skopje, travel time - 3 -3, 5 hours. You can get from other countries, there are international lines of Struga - Sofia; Struga - Istanbul; Struga - Skopje - Belgrade.

By train: trains from Skopje go to Struga.

By air: there is no direct communication, in summer there are charter flights from Skopje to Ohrid airport. Then by bus or taxi, you can also fly with a flight from Belgrade to Skopje, then by bus.

Hotels

The city is actively developing tourism, so you can choose the most diverse accommodation options: hotels, campsites on the shore of the lake and in the mountains, or to live in a private sector that should not be neglected - the prices here are lower and the conditions can offer very good.

Entertainments, excursions and attractions Struga

Home sight of Strugi - the church of St. George (1835), which was erected on the site of the former St. George's Church in the heart of the city. Fresco painting on the walls and ceiling of the 19th century is of artistic value, but the true treasure of the temple is a gallery of icons from the 13th to 19th centuries. The most famous and revered icon is the image of St. George, written in 1267 on the back of the board inscription - Struga, Ohrid.

Also noteworthy is the Museum of Nature, founded in 1928 by the scientist Nikolai Nezlobinsky. Initially, he included his personal collection of insects, birds, fish and animals in the Ohrid and Prespa lakes. Now the collection is regularly replenished with new copies

It is worth looking into the gallery of Vangel Kodjoman - one of the most famous contemporary artists of Macedonia. Most of his works are devoted to the native land and its people. In his paintings the life of the old Balkan villages, a life that no longer lives, but which is constantly felt in the way of life and the spirit of today's Macedonia comes to life.

Surroundings of Struga

Be sure to visit the cave church of the Nativity of the Virgin Calista that high in the cliffs on the west shore of Lake Ohrid. The entrance is through the wall, which is at the same time a church apse, from where you find yourself in a real cave. The decoration of the interior of the church dates from the 15th to 16th centuries. Nearby, on the shoreline, there is another cave church dedicated to St. Athanasius. The oldest frescoes of this temple date from the end of the 14th or the first half of the 15th century

Cave Church of the Archangel Michael in Radozhd is one of the oldest churches on the shores of Lake Ohrid. Fresco painting on the walls of the temple dates back to the end of the 13th century. The most impressive is the image of the Archangel in the image of the Miracle in Cana of Galilee. Nearby there is a fishing village with excellent fish restaurants

Located at the foot of the Yablonitsa mountain (about 10 km north of Struga), the wonderful village of Wisni surrounded by beech and oak forests. Here, the cave church of Christ the Savior attracts attention, which is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from the village along the beautiful mountain canyon. The frescos decorating the walls and ceiling of the temple date from the end of the 14th century

Vevčani is a large village located 14 km north of Struga . It is located at the foot of the mountain and surrounded on all sides by rocky hulks . The houses here are old, built in a variety of styles, making Vevchani one of the most picturesque villages of the Ohrid District . Here the noise of the water flowing through the canals is constantly heard . Water coming from there feeds the village fields for centuries . Walk through the wonderful walnut grove , Climb the mountains to the village of Horn and Belitsa or enjoy the view of the purest mountain lake, in any case, a visit to Vechani will be remembered for a long time .

Finally, be sure to walk along the ancient Roman road - Via Ignatio, when you are in the area of ​​Vechani. It goes through a beautiful forest to Waitos, a stop that commercial caravans of the ancient era always made on the way from the Adriatic to the Black Sea. Here is the most amazing panoramic view of the entire Ohrid lake

Gorna Belitsa

Located at an altitude of 1600 m in the village of Gorna Belitsa, near the border with Albania, you can reach by car, bike or on foot from Struga or Вевчани . Currently only two old women live here permanently, the rest of the inhabitants appear only on weekends or holidays . Church of St. . Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is now being restored, but the villagers will gladly tell you about the history of the church and live solely in veneration my in the Balkans holy . There are several guest houses and a modern hotel . For those who want to enjoy the nature of the mountains, peace and quiet this accommodation is just wonderful .

Events

This city is the place of birth Peter and Konstantin Miladinov, the most notable figures of the Macedonian national revival and Macedonian culture. That is why the largest poetry festival in Macedonia is held here. In addition, Struga is also known for a very interesting carnival - it takes place in the village of Vechani on January 14, that is, in the Old New Year, and is the only Orthodox carnival in the world.