Republic of Macedonia

Republic of Macedonia is a small country situated in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is a natural bridge between the East and the West, the North and the South. The majority of the population are Macedonians, while the most numerous among the minorities are the Albanians, Turks and Serbs.

The Republic of Macedonia abounds in natural beauties and rarities and that’s why many have named it "The Pearl of the Balkans". Rich in water resources, the country, has about fifty large and small lakes. The most significant ones are the lakes of Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran. The high mountains, with impressive and spectacular landscapes embrace a great variety of plant and animal species. There are various climatic zones in the country, temperately Mediterranean in the south (warm summers and mild winters), and moderately continental in the north wit more marked seasonal extremes.

The main administrative centre of the country is Skopje, with a population of more than 541.000 inhabitants. It is a place where many roads and civilizations have met and mingled.

The position of the country and its configuration, climate and hydrography provide favourable conditions for the development of the tourism. The most popular tourist destinations are Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran where 80% of the total accommodation capacities are located.

For winter tourism there are several winter sport centres: Popova Shapka, Mavrovo, Krushevo, Pelister, which provide all the necessary facilities for sports and recreation. There are also more than 60 thermal springs tapped and several spas: Katlanovo Spa, Kosovrasti Spa, Bansko, Negorci with facilities for treatment, rehabilitation and recreation.

Nowadays, the Republic of Macedonia is a veritable treasure of cultural heritage, represented by numeral cultural and historical monuments: churches, monasteries, icons, old crafts, archaeological sites, mosques, national costumes, old books and other items. The first Slavic alphabet and literature also have their roots here.

Many internationally recognized events are held in our country: Ohrid Summer Festival, Struga Poetry Evenings, Skopje Jazz Festival, May Opera Nights, Manaki Film Festival, Balkan Festival of Folk Songs and Dances, Galicnik Wedding.

Ohrid (Lychnidos)

Ohrid is one of the rare cities in the Balkans, such as Odessa and Dyrachion that had thrived uninterruptedly throughout the classical period. They survived the decline of the classical civilization and continued to live under their new names till the present time. The soil of this ancient city has seen numerous changes of civilization achievements followed by the inevitable falls and rises.

The contemporary city of Ohrid is a descendant of the antique town of Lychnidos. This was confirmed by several Byzantine sources in which it was written "the town is situated on a high hill near the large lake of Lychnidos, by which also the town was named Lychnis, previously known as Dyassarites". The existence of this town is also evident from numerous Roman documents. According to them, Lychnidos was located by the Via Egnatia, the oldest and most important Roman roadway in the Balkans. It started with two routes from Apollonia and Dyrachia and reached to Lychnidos through Candavian Mountains. Long before the Romans came into the region this route had been used as a communicational link between the coast and the internal parts of Illyria and Macedonia. Via Egnatia was the shortest route from Rome to the Eastern Empire.