Ohrid

I spent this afternoon walking around the old town of Ohrid in Macedonia (FYROM). That meant a fair bit of hill climbing as the old town is built on the side of a hill overlooking the lake. It is a very picturesque town and currently quite busy with tourists. I’m told that the residential population is around 50,000 but that number is doubled by tourists in June, July and August.

Ohrid has lots of lakeside restaurants and bars

Boat captains seek business taking tourists on tours around the lake

Concrete docks and gravel areas become makeshift beaches for sunbathing and swimming

Houses in the old town stack up the side of the hill

It seems as though every house on the hillside has a view of the lake

Looking down on the bay from the hillside

Houses crowd along the narrow roads

Steps lead you further up the hill

The Hellenistic amphitheatre (built in 200BC) is still used for shows

Ohrid Amphitheatre

The Upper Gate in the old town’s fortified walls is still in use for traffic

The town wall in the foreground with Samuil’s Fortress on the hill

The walls of the fortress loom over Ohrid

View of the bay from the Samuil’s Fortress

The fortress has commanding views in all directions

Work is ongoing to renovate the fortress

Church of St. Sophia

Church of St. Sophia – rear view

St. Clement’s Church, Ohrid – built in 893AD

St. Clement’s Church

Mosaic floor in the Baptistry of the Basilica – 4th to 6th century AD

Part of the 4th century basilica in Ohrid

4th century mosaic tile floor in the Basilica

Much of the Basilica still awaits excavation and restoration.

An old Series Land Rover has been parked unused for two years next to the Basilica.

This old girl needs rescuing

Vehicles and pedestrians compete for space to pass through this tunnel under an apartment

A pretty location

 

Tomorrow, I leave Macedonia and cross into Albania to visit the town of Berat.