Beautiful roads around Lake Ohrid - Albania and North Macedonia

Writer: Helena Bergström

The roads around Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia are stunningly beautiful. We first drove along Lake Ohrid in Albania, and have now rolled into the North Macedonian side. Here are several nice towns and villages along the lake, and the nature is lush and intensely green.

Macedonia - in name conflict with Greece

Macedonia (later renamed North Macedonia) is a relatively small and mountainous country, with about two million inhabitants. The country gained independence from Yugoslavia 1991, and is one of the republics that never suffered from war but became relatively poor. Ever since its creation, it has been in a heated name dispute with Greece.

"This is because 'Macedonia' was historically a much larger area, most of which is in present-day Greece. The Greeks believe that Macedonia's name is an attempt to steal the history of the entire region. This is why, in political contexts, the country has been forced to use the long and complicated name "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".

Lake Ohrid - on the border between Albania and North Macedonia

Located on the border between Albania and North Macedonia, Lake Ohrid is an ancient and deep lake. The lake was formed about 2-4 million years ago, making it one of the oldest lakes in the world, along with Lake Tanganyika, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Lake Baikal.

Lake Ohrid is the seventh deepest lake in Europe, with a depth of 289 metres. The lake is known for its rich wildlife, with around 200 endemic species (i.e. species that are only found in a specific geographical area). Lake Ohrid is also home to the delicious trout (Ohridska Pastramka) which is only found here, and can be found in many restaurants around Lake Ohrid. Lake Ohrid has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Beautiful roads around Lake Ohrid

Over the past few days, many of you will have read and heard about the refugee crisis at the border between Greece and North Macedonia and on the road to Serbia. Most of the refugees come from Syria and are trying to enter the EU via Hungary.

We have not seen any of this, but drove a quiet and pleasant road north along Lake Ohrid. First on the Albanian side and through the border control into the Macedonian side. What we have seen so far of the country is beautiful nature and relatively modern houses and cities. The mountains rise high around Lake Ohrid and the vegetation is dense and intensely green. The communities look prosperous, and around the lake you see one small cosy bathing place after another.

Lake Ohrid in Albania

Parts of Lake Ohrid are located in eastern Albania. Here we take you to the cosy little village of Kisha Lin and to a campsite on Lake Ohrid in Albania.

Lake Ohrid is 289 metres deep, making it the seventh deepest lake in Europe. But this lake is not only very deep but also very old. It was formed 2-4 million years ago, making it one of the oldest lakes in the world, along with Lake Tanganyika, the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal.

An ancient city in Albania

In Albania we entered a small, small village called Kisha Lin and it was really like being thrown back a few hundred years in time. Here the houses were small and old, the old ladies were sitting on the steps outside their houses and as we were walking back through the village we met the sheep, goats, cows and donkeys who were on their way home ...

Funnily enough, there was also a modern small hotel with an outdoor terrace with great views of the lake. So there was a beer before we continued to find a place for the night.

Camping at Lake Ohrid

We drove a little bit south along the lake, and soon there was a sign saying ”Camping Erlin”. We couldn't see if there really was a campsite at the end of the little road, but we took a chance! Imagine our surprise when we arrived at an incredibly modern, new and well-kept place with a large restaurant and bar right on the water, a small stage, sun loungers and a green and well-kept campsite with electricity, water and new fresh toilets and showers.

We had a really good dinner with grilled fish from the lake and received great service. At the restaurant there was a small party celebrating a birthday. Camping Erlin on Lake Ohrid and we were the only guests at the restaurant. 10 euros/day including electricity and WiFi costs at Erlin camping. A visit here is highly recommended!

At the campsite we had dinner with grilled fish, crispy potatoes, Greek salad, grilled bread and white wine. (Yes, I got tired of my hair and asked Peter to shave it off. Great ”haircut”! But don't worry too much if you don't like it - it's bound to grow back at some point!)

Places to visit around Lake Ohrid

If you are travelling around Lake Ohrid, there are several great places to visit! On the Macedonian side, we can recommend a visit to the historic the city of Ohrid, the smaller but the charming town of Struga and at the interesting museum Museum on water.