The town of Ochrida is the cultural thorax and constitutes a town-Museum. A town which is usually mentioned as a "Balkan Boursalim" (whetstone), a town spread in the banks of the lake Ochrida, with many natural and cultural beauties. The Saints Clementios and Naoum are the founders of the famous Biblical School of Orhrida, which was a developmental ecclesiastic-cultural and biblical centre one of first in Europe. From the numerous cultural and historical monuments in Ochrida, we distinguish the church of Saint Sophia (11th century), which is today the most important monument in FYROM, the church of Virgin Mary the Salient (St Clementios 13th century, together with the rich collection of icons). In this church, rest in peace the corps of St. Clementios. The church of Saint John (Jovan) Kaneo (13th century), which prevails over the lake, allows us to admire the wonderful view.
The Monastery of St. Naoum (10th century, the church was built later),
thirty kilometres away from the town of Ochrida, was built on a high rock over
the lake.
Over the town stands imposingly the fortress of Samuel.
Ochrida is a town where really exists a series of works of old urban
architecture of the 19th century, such as the houses of the Rompevi family of
Ukraine and others.
The bazaar of Ochrida is well known, with many commercial shops numerous
workshops, which existed in the past and they still operate in the town. The shops
are built from hewn stones and they sell various goods. Today, in many of these
one can find souvenirs, which represent the land of Ochrida and remarkable miniatures
of items. Each year, the town hosts the famous festival "Summer of Ochrida". A
great number of tourists from the whole country and from abroad visit the area
of Ochrida. In the west, towards the Albanian borders, the real jewels of the
beauty of Ochrida reveal. The crystal waters and the mountainous landscapes mix
together with the wonderful forests.
Near the town and on the edges of the mountain Petrino rises the village
Velestvo, with a beautiful view to the lake. It allows tourist visits and gives
the opportunity to the visitor to be acquainted with the life and the customs
of the inhabitants. Besides that, here lie the wonderful beaches of
Koritsa
and St. Stephanos.
One of the most beautiful corners of the lake of Ochrida is the Penisnsula
Grandiste, with a wonderful and modern equipped camping, which divides the two
fishing village Pestani and Trpeotsa. In these fishing villages, tourists have
the opportunity to taste the excellent grilled trout or giomlezed of Ochrida,
especially roasted with a cover. In the villages Trpeotsa and Lioubanista, up
in the borders, there is an earthy paradise, St. Naoum with its sandy beach, sprouts,
the river Tchrn Drim, the church, the monastery hostels and hotels, which provide
accommodation for tourists, and there is also the famous cave-like churches, such
as the one of Virgin Mary Pestanska, near the village Pestani, and the one of
St. Stephanos Pantsir near Goritsa.
This text (extract) is cited April 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
