It is rare for me to be so divided over a place, to both love somewhere and hate it at the same time. But the lakeside town of Ohrid in south-western Macedonia did that to me. On one hand, the lovely setting and quaint alleyways charmed the pants off me (even without buying me a drink) yet the hyper-developed centre had me darn near tossing my cookies.
The words "mass tourism" and "Macedonia" are unlikely to ever be spoken in the same utterance. It was actually a challenge to write them in the same
sentence here. In a country somewhat lacking in tourist attractions, 1 town can claim the undisputed crown. Undiscovered gems don't go undiscovered for long. This is abundantly clear if you visit Ohrid on a weekend, or god forbid a long holiday weekend in summer. The centre of town, right on the lakeside, heaves with regional holiday-makers doing typically annoying tourist-type things. Cafes, restaurants and bars try to draw attention by playing their pop music louder than there neighbour. You're even accosted at the bus station by locals trying to rent out their rooms. The tiny alleyways and footpaths become engulfed by groups following some random sign held by their guide like sheep follow their shepherd. It has all the nasty markers mass tourism brings with it. And is, in general, a pretty crappy place.
But the town is more than just the pedestrian centre and the overcrowded
lakefront. Sprawling to the side of the centre and haphazard toss up the hillside are a spiderweb of interlocking streets, alleyways and hidden corridors. The cobble-stoned paths see little traffic, local or otherwise, and allow for a quiet, leisurely stroll though the pretty residential neighbourhoods. Occasionally stumbling upon an ancient theatre or fortified monastery is half the fun of leaving the map at home. Besides, the lake makes for a pretty good landmark in case you get lost. But there is reasonable signage around to avoid that. Although i didn't find the people overtly friendly, they are at the very least obliging. And pretty much every house has a room to rent, or the entire house itself, allowing a traveller to escape from the havoc often wreaked in the centre below.
But arguably the biggest star of the town is the Church of John Kaneo. Precariously perched on a cliffside, with expansive views over the lake, the tiny church is highly photogenic. But it is only one of many churches, forts or monasteries scattered throughout the large park to the west of the centre. The walk itself is nice, through the trees on well manicured paths. That is when they aren't overrun with tour groups.
Getting here is half the fun. The route from the capital Skopje is a beautiful one. Passing through rolling green hills, littered with tiny villages, it's not a bad 3+ hours. Unfortunately the "bus station" (actually just a vacant lot) has been moved from the centre to about 2/3 KMs out of town. Be sure to buy return tickets as 1. they're cheaper and 2. ticket can sell out quickly in the summer or weekends.
The centre is hell, but the side streets are a touch of heaven. Such is my feeling of Ohrid. While i may not use words like spectacular or breathtaking, pretty and lovely would humbly describe the town and lake. This was my second trip to Ohrid (the first being in 2004). And although i would easily say more positive than negative about the town, i don't have a need to return.
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