Ohrid and Struga are both beautiful cities by Lake Ohrid in southwestern Macedonia. There are many exciting activities you can do as a couple, with your family or even on your own. We will be showing you three of the best activities you can experience while you explore the wonderful sights of Ohrid and Struga.
Diving in Lake Ohrid
You have probably seen the marvelous sights of Lake Ohrid from St. Jovan Kaneo, St. Naum or Galicica. Now, it is time to gear up and go down deep underwater on a thrilling journey to discover a new world within the depths of Lake Ohrid, which is said to be the oldest lake in Europe. There are many diving locations with various depth-levels. One of the most famous, and possibly best diving sites in Lake Ohrid is underneath the Bay Of The Bones museum, which is about 14 kilometers from Ohrid.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any equipment with you, because the diving center “Amfora” is located at the Bay Of The Bones museum and they have everything you will need for a great diving experience. There are a few different options when it comes to the actual diving varying in price and depth.
The first option starts at 45 Euros per person and is intended for beginners who have never tried diving before. The depth of this dive is 5 meters and includes the instructor being with you at all times, as well as a 20 minute training session for a total adventure time of about 2 hours.
A second, much better and more popular option which costs 55 Euros per person is similar to the first one, except you also get to visit the archaeological site to examine items and remains that are over 3000 years old. The maximum depth of this dive is 8 meters. Besides the archaeological diving trip, the sight of the beautiful aquatic life is truly breathtaking. This diving site is adequate for both beginners and professionals.
However, if a closed-diving location doesn’t suit your adventurous needs, then perhaps you would like to attend a training course for diving in open waters. The depth during this course is 18 meters. This course lasts around 3 to 5 days depending on how much time you put into it daily, and at the end, you get an internationally recognized certificate.
The transport to the site is easy to arrange since there are plenty of buses and mini-vans that will take you from Ohrid directly to the Bay Of The Bones museum.
Paragliding over the region
Rise up from the depths of Lake Ohrid, and take off to the skies above with paragliding. Paragliding is one of the most exhilarating activities you can possibly take part in. You get to fly over a few different locations, such as: Lake Ohrid and the city of Ohrid, the city of Struga, or over Lake Prespa which is on the other side of the mountain Galicica. Paragliding is available to anyone over the age of 5; however, those under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult. There are two different clubs that will arrange your flight.
The first one is “Paragliding Tandem”. This club has four different flight programs to choose from based on which location you will want to fly over.
The most basic one is taking off from the nearby mountain, Galicica, 1300 meters above sea level. You will fly over the city of Ohrid and see it from a new perspective. The entire trip will cost 59 Euros with a total length of about 2 hours.
A level above this trip is one similar to it; but, the main difference is that you take off 1700 meters above sea level from a different spot on mountain Galicica. This time you will be able to see the city of Ohrid from an even higher vantage point and odds are the world will look small from that high up. This adventure will cost you 69 Euros and will last around 3 hours.
However, if flying over the city of Ohrid is not your cup of tea, then perhaps the calming sight of the tranquil Lake Ohrid, or the serene beauty of Lake Prespa is what you need for a wonderful yet soothing trip. For the third program you get to choose over which lake you want to fly, since they are both visible and accessible from mountain Galicica. This trip will take off about 1700 meters above sea level and will last for approximately 4 hours at a price of 75 Euros.
Finally, the last trip that Paragliding Tandem offers is flying over the city of Struga, which is about 14 kilometers away from Ohrid. There is a saying “Kako Struga nema druga”, which translates to “There’s no other such as Struga.” Flying over the city will prove this to be true as you set off 1600 meters above sea level from the mountain Jablanica, getting to see the sight of all the small villages on the outskirts of Struga, going up all the way to the mountain. Then you will eventually get to the city of Struga, the Lake Ohrid streaming into the famous river Drim which cleaves the city in two as it runs down its entirety, leading out and eventually going through Albania and ending in the Adriatic Sea.
The other club is “Flyohrid” and they have a similar flying schedule and programs like Paragliding Tandem.
Their main flight program is paragliding over Lake Ohrid, setting off 1700 meters above sea level from the mountain Galicica. This option costs 69 Euros with a total length of about 2 hours.
A second option is flying over the city of Ohrid for a price of 55 Euros. You will set off from Galicica, 1300 meters above sea level. This is the shortest adventure, lasting approximately 1 hour.
Their third and last flight program is a so called “adrenaline flight” over Lake Ohrid. With this choice you will go up all the way to the highest point on the mountain Galicica, known as Magaro. From here you will be able to see the entire area around Lake Ohrid, both the Macedonian and the Albanian sides. This flight tour will cost you 89 Euros.
Overall, there are many different options that you can choose to suit your needs and create the perfect memories – soaring high above a fantastic region.
Horseback Riding
Tired from soaring the skies or diving through the depths? Then perhaps horseback riding would be a good relaxing alternative. It is an adventure that one could undergo to fully explore the beautiful mountains of Macedonia and form fantastic memories. There are many different types of routes available depending on how high you want to go.
The horseback riding activities are organized by the horseback riding club “Sv. Spas”. You do not need any previous horseback riding experience to partake in this activity. There’s a short training session at the start of the tour. The horse that you will be riding will have a saddle, you will also be provided a raincoat if the weather requires it, and a guide.
Depending on which horseback riding trail you choose, the rides will last 3-6 hours. The organized tours in the Ohrid region are all done on the mountain Jablanica. There are four different tours you can take.
The first one is at the picnic area known as Jankov Kamen. This place is situated 1200 meters above sea level.
The second tour is a ride to the Monastery St. Savior which is situated 1300 meters above sea level and has a breathtaking view of Lake Ohrid.
The third tour is towards Gorna Belica which is situated 1420 meters above sea level.
The last tour is Vevchani’s sheepfold. This place is located 1900 meters above sea level and is full of gorgeous scenery, fresh air, natural springs, and an amazing mix of colors of the mountain of Jablanica to paint the perfect picture onto your cameras and memories.
Even though Ohrid and Struga are small cities, they are filled with spectacular sights and fun activities to do while you are staying in Macedonia. If you have experienced some of these, we would love to hear about your adventures in the comments section below.
