Ohrid: A Macedonian Oasis

Snuggled in the Macedonian mountains is the lake town of Ohrid. Its popularity with Macedonian holiday makers means that at first glance it can appear on the surface to be Malaga-esque, with souvenir stands lining the main strip, cheap tattoo studios and a selection of bars along the lakeside. However, Ohrid turns out to have many hidden treasures; ancient churches abound (there’s rumoured to be one for every day of the year) and tiny, steep alley ways criss-cross the town like a game of snakes and ladders. From the shore the views across the lake are breath taking, but the highlight of my visit was when four fellow backpackers and I hired a boat and spent a day on the azure waters.

The glory of that day on the lake would not have been possible without the existence of Sunny Lake Hostel. It was, as cheesy as it sounds, a home away from home. Forget lockers, there never was the need to shut cameras, phones or money away. Instead I enjoyed breakfast on the terrace with strangers who felt like old friends, and evening drinks in the beer garden. The owner’s offer to call up a friend and sort out a day on the lake for us saved time and money, and so the five of us set off, beach towels and bathing suits at the ready.

From the shore the lake looks infinite, from a boat it feels infinite, stretching out in front of and underneath you. Our local guide proved priceless, not only did he bring us sandwiches and beer (favourites with any traveller) but his knowledge of the sights surrounding the lake turned the day from essentially a swimming trip to a cultural one. We floated past the Bay of the Bones Museum, a reconstruction of a pile-dwelling settlement from 1200 BC, a collection of huts stretching out onto the lake, the stilts looking barely able to hold the village above. We also passed the presidential villa, which looked down on us imperiously, the guards from this distance more matchstick men than soldiers. But it was the swimming that made it, exploring the caves around the lake, our attempts to do the most impressive dive from the boat, and the strangely ominous feeling of the watery abyss beneath my paddling feet.

It’s tempting to limit a visit to Macedonia to Skopje, as the capital is usually more convenient for those on the Balkan trail. But whenever people ask me where I’d recommend it’s always Ohrid, without hesitation, because I have the happiest memories of that day on the lake, my very own oasis in a hectic schedule of city to city backpacking.