Walking Through Ohrid's Historical Old Town (Self Guided), Ohrid

Ohrid is a city best discovered on foot. Its Old Town rises from the clear blue waters of Lake Ohrid toward the walls of Tsar Samuel’s Fortress, with narrow streets, stone houses, medieval churches, archaeological remains, cafés, and viewpoints appearing along the way.

In antiquity, Ohrid was known as Lychnidos, a name traditionally associated with light. By the late 9th century, the Slavic name Ohrid had come into use, probably derived from words meaning “on a hill.” The city’s extraordinary concentration of churches later inspired the nickname “Jerusalem of the Balkans.” Tradition even claims that Ohrid once had 365 churches-one for every day of the year.

The settlement is far older than its medieval churches. Legend says that Cadmus, the exiled founder of Thebes, established a town here. In the 4th century BC, Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, is associated with strengthening the defenses of ancient Lychnidos. Centuries later, Tsar Samuel rebuilt and expanded the fortress on the hilltop, and around the end of the 10th century Ohrid became one of the principal political and religious centers of his empire.

Religion and learning shaped the city just as strongly as kings and armies. In the late 9th century, Saint Clement of Ohrid established the Ohrid Literary School, which became an important center of Slavic literacy, Christian education, and manuscript production. Clement spent the final years of his life here and remains the patron saint of Ohrid.

The walk through the Old Town reveals these layers one after another. At Plaošnik, the reconstructed Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon stands amid remains dating back to early Christianity. Nearby, the more than 2,000-year-old Ancient Theater still hosts performances. The Church of Saint Sophia, once the cathedral of medieval Ohrid, preserves some of the finest Byzantine frescoes in the region.

All of this unfolds beside Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s oldest lakes, estimated to be around two to three million years old. Its shoreline offers beaches, promenades, restaurants, and broad views across the water, providing a welcome contrast to the steep lanes of the Old Town.

Ohrid also spent more than five centuries under Ottoman rule, beginning around the end of the 14th century and lasting until 1912. That period left its mark on the Old Bazaar, traditional houses, mosques, crafts, and food. A fitting place to begin exploring is Saint Clement of Ohrid Square, near the lakeshore and the entrance to the Old Bazaar. Here, a monumental statue of Saint Clement holds a model of the city in one hand while extending the other toward the viewer. He seems almost to be saying, “Come and have a look.”
Accept the invitation. Ohrid has plenty to show you.