Forever drawn to Ohrid
OHRID, Macedonia — Purple-blossomed jacaranda trees lined the walkway along turquoise Ohrid Lake’s shoreline, where swans drifted in the shallows and brightly painted taxi boats zipped past.
Ohrid is one of Europe’s oldest human settlements, first mentioned in Greek documents from 353 BC, and the lake, more than 3 million years old, is Europe’s oldest and one of the oldest in the world, containing flora and fauna dating to the Tertiary Period.
The city of 42,000 is mellow, a favorite holiday destination for Macedonians. Ohrid’s Old Town and the lake are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
I started the morning alongside locals sipping Turkish coffee and eating fresh cherry strudel at a main square cafe.
Then I strolled Old Town’s hilly maze of narrow, winding cobblestone streets lined with rosemary, roses and stone houses with red tile roofs. St. John at Kaneo, one of Macedonia’s iconic Orthodox churches, perched on a high point above the lake.
Farther up I reached St. Panteleimon church and monastery with its remarkable floor mosaics. Then I came upon an ancient Roman amphitheater once used as a gladiatorial venue and now the site of summer concerts.
Crowning Ohrid’s hilltop is Samuel’s Fortress, built in the 10th century by the Bulgarian Empire. Its wide stone walls, with views across the lake toward Albania, are a nice place for a stroll.
As night fell, I made my way down to the shoreline, where family restaurants are built over the water. I ordered the local fish soup and grilled trout pulled fresh that day from the lake.
The water splashed gently beneath the planks under my feet as lanterns swayed in the breeze and the sound of music drifted from another cafe. No crowds, no pressure to leave, no shock when the friendly waiter brought my bill. Europe just doesn’t get any better than this.