Nestled in North Macedonia, Ohrid is a city with a rich history and beautiful nature.
It's famed for its UNESCO-listed old town, the tranquility of the lake, and a wealth of historic churches, monasteries, and mosques.
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It's famed for its UNESCO-listed old town, the tranquility of the lake, and a wealth of historic churches, monasteries, and mosques.
If you're already in the Balkans, it's worth a week. Otherwise, it's too quiet to be worth traveling exclusively for.
North Macedonia was the starting point for a tour of the Balkans in 2021. Prior to the trip I would not have been able to locate the country on the map, but at the time of Covid it was one of the few countries allowing unrestricted access from the UK making it a useful destination to start travel from.
Reasonable selection of airbnbs in the centre of the town. If visiting outside of the peak season you should have your pick of apartments at a very reasonable price.
There's only one real option for coworking in the town at present, although there is a large range of cafes. If planning to work from home, I would not assume the internet would be of sufficient quality.
Like the rest of North Macedonia, food and drink is very reasonable priced throughout, however compared to larger cities, there isn't an enormous selection of choice. Prices for local excursions and bicycle/car hire prove to be very good value.
As you would expect from what is essentially a large town, Ohrid isn’t the most dynamic place to spend your time, especially if visiting outside of peak season. The town centre can be walked in its entirety in under 10 minutes, and there is scant evidence of any meaningful nightlife.
North Macedonia operates on Central European Time (CET), aligning with Western Europe.
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The only coworking facility intown, CoWorkOhrid is a great destination to get work done, around a 15 minute walk from the centre of town.
During winter there's great views of the snow topped mountains in the distance with great views of the sunset. Complementary coffee available also.
The only drawback is a lack of lunch options in the immediate area so you'd be best off to come prepared.
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An natural haven renowned for its diverse flora and fauna with numerous hiking trails and serene lakes, best accessed if visiting from the neighbouring town of Bitola. If visiting during the winter months, be prepared for intensely snowy conditions.
Early March was bitterly cold, with the surrounding mountain peaks covered in snow for the entirety of the month. Some sunnier days were had towards the end of the trip but I couldn't recommend arriving any earlier than April. The peak of summer is hot, with temperatures regularly up to 30 degrees,
There is a small local population in the town, with high seasonal fluctuations over summer with holiday markers arriving from predominantly in neighbouring Balkan countries. During the month I was there I would be relatively confident I was the sole remote worker in town.
Local people were friendly and welcoming with English spoken in the majority of cafes and bars.
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