History

• Its ancient name was Lichnido ("city of light") and later Lychnydos, according to stone inscriptions from 353 B.C. St. Paul, the apostle, evangelized the area in the first century, and the city was once home to more than 365 churches. The earliest evidence of its current name is from 879, probably derived from a Macedonian phrase meaning "the town on the hill." Ohrid is one of the oldest settlements on the European continent.
  
  

Sites

• Famous for its ancient basilicas, churches and monasteries, Ohrid is the site of more than 800 Byzantine-style icons from the 11th through 14th centuries. St. Pantelejmon Monastery, considered the most ancient of Slav monasteries, is the site of one of the earliest known universities. There, Saints Kliment (Clement) and Naum devised the Cyrillic alphabet still used today by Macedonian, Bulgarian, Russian and Serbian languages, among others.
  
  The 2,000-year-old Antique Theater is the only remaining monument from ancient Hellenistic times. Other ancient sites include the Kaneo and the Mesokastro settlements where the poor lived outside the walls, and Ohrid fortifications, the oldest of which dates to the third century and which include the fortress of Tsar Samuil (Samoil), from the 10th century, which sits on a hill overlooking Lake Ohrid.
  
  Other nearby famous churches and monasteries include St. Naum Monastery, 29 kilometers south of Ohrid on the Albanian border, and St. Stefan Cave church, an hour-long scenic walk along the coast.
  
  

Museums

• The city's main museums are in the square. The Ohrid National Museum and Icon Gallery each display Roman painting and artifacts, while several house museums highlight architectural features and specific historic events.
  
  

Festivals and Events

• The Balkan Folklore Festival held early in July showcases traditional arts, crafts, costumes, music and folk performances. The Ohrid Summer Festival -- typically held from mid-July into late August -- hosts world-renowned artists in concerts, dramatic performances, street dancing and other events.
  
  

Lake Ohrid

• Sport fishing and boating are popular activities. One of the deepest lakes on earth, Lake Ohrid is fed by water from three rivers. Its clear, pristine water holds millions of fish. Two species of Ohrid trout, two types of eel and a small fish called a bleak, in particular, are species found nowhere else on earth. The bleak's scales make the famous Ohrid pearl; a well-guarded secret passed down through families. Each July, elite swimmers enter the Ohrid Swimming Marathon, a 30-kilometer competition.
  
  Above the lake sits Galicica National Park, a wilderness and biological preserve, home to unique flora and fauna.