Things to do in Southern Macedonia
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A
Restaurant Dalga
Here you can enjoy glorious lake views along with some Californian trout.
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Dom na Kultura
Ohrid's movie theatre, Dom na Kultura, faces the lakeside park. Cultural events are also held here.
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Pizzeria Leonardo
For a pizza and half a litre of draught wine at around 250, this cosy little spot is the place to be.
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Jazz Inn
A vibrant, jazzy atmosphere, with live music on Thursdays and the weekend, this must be the most popular place in town. Opens late and stays open until much, much later.
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Restoran Neim
Check out the local characters at this working man's hangout about 100m west of the old plane tree, and try some delicious moussaka or polneti piperki (stuffed peppers).
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Barok
Pick up some interesting woodcarvings at Barok, or some fine prints of photographs of rural Macedonia by photographer Atanas Talevski. Small prints cost around MKD200 and large ones MKD900.
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Sveti Kliment
Continue towards the Upper Gate (Gorna Porta) to the gorgeous, 13th-century Sveti Kliment, patterned inside with vividly restored frescoes of biblical scenes. Opposite this church is an icon gallery.
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Sveti Nikola Bolnički
Sveti Nikola Bolnički was one of two hospital churches. In times of plague people wanting to enter Ohrid were quarantined here for up to 40 days before being allowed into the town. It boasts delicate frescoes.
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Aquarius
A local radio station broadcasts from this groovy lakeside bar in summer. The lakeside terrace was the first of its kind, an idea picked up by adjacent bars. The bar features a big sound system and lots of cocktails.
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Sveti Bogorodica Bolnička
Sveti Bogorodica Bolnička, near the lower gate of the town wall, was originally a hospital church. In times of plague people wanting to enter Ohrid were quarantined here for up to 40 days before being allowed into the town.
reviewed
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K
Sveta Sofija
Further up Car Samoil is the grandiose 11th-century church of Sveta Sofija, originally built as a cathedral. The frescoes are extremely well preserved thanks to having been whitewashed during the church's days as a mosque. An English-speaking guide is usually on hand.
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National Museum
A great example of 19th-century Macedonian architecture is the 1827 National Museum. The museum collection is divided into the Robev Residence, which houses an archaeological display, and the Urania Residence with an ethnographic display. Both rooms make for an interesting hour of exploring Macedonia's history.
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Sveti Jovan at Kaneo
Follow the signs for Sveti Jovan at Kaneo along the winding streets. This amazing little 13th-century church will appear before you on the cliffs above the lake. The unusual half-folded umbrella roof of the dome indicates that there was an Armenian influence in its design - this is a distinct feature of Armenian churches.
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Classical Amphitheatre
Ohrid's Classical Amphitheatre was first built around the time of the birth of Christ, and wasn't fully uncovered until 1984. The amphitheatre was originally built for plays and oratory, but in the late Roman era the first 10 rows were pulled out and replaced with a wall, so the theatre could be used as an arena for bloodspots. Its original purpose has been restored and the amphitheatre is used for Summer Festival performances.
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Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon
Go up through the park towards the newly built Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon, standing next to the remains of Ohrid's oldest church of the same name. The foundations of the 5th-century basilica with their intricate mosaics are on display in front of the new church. The foundations of a 4th-century church close by have been covered with a roof on pylons to show the original roofline.
There are more mosaics here, usually covered with sand outside the summer months to help preserve them. One of the mosaics shows a swastika symbol - an old Indo-Aryan sun symbol long before the Nazis appropriated it.
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Restaurant Sveti Sofia
Classy bistro just uphill from the Sveti Sofia church, with a wide range of modern and traditional Macedonian dishes. The view from the terrace onto the ancient church is the very soul of Ohrid.
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Restaurant Antiko
This traditional place, located in an old Ohrid house, is one of the most popular restaurants in town, although it's rather pricey. Special warning: if you want to eat Macedonian specialities, you have to order them three hours in advance.
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Car Samoil's Castle
The emphatically restored, 10th-century Car Samoil's Castle, on the town's heights, looks less interesting inside than its exterior suggests, but there are splendid views over the Old Town and Ohrid Lake from the crenellated walls and towers.
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Dom na Armiya
For something different, the Army House is a classic communist café, unchanged since Tito took holidays at Ohrid. The waiters in ageing tuxedos refused to divulge the telephone numbers to this foreign spy, but subterfuge helped me get the opening hours.
reviewed