“Macedonian Pearl” wins over Europe: Lake Ohrid named the most beautiful, tourists captivated by nature and hospitality

Ohrid and Lake Ohrid are increasingly cementing their status as one of the region’s most attractive tourist destinations. After Time Out magazine named Lake Ohrid the most beautiful place in Europe for 2026, interest in the “Macedonian Pearl” has grown further. From its crystal-clear lake and mountain landscapes to its rich cultural and historical heritage, traditional cuisine and the hospitality particularly praised by visitors, Ohrid leaves a strong impression on tourists from the region, Europe and even distant parts of the world. While tourism professionals see the recognition as an opportunity for additional promotion and attracting new visitors, tourists themselves confirm that Ohrid is not a place one visits only once.

Written by: Milena Maksimovic

Travel writers at Time Out magazine named Lake Ohrid the most beautiful place in Europe, describing it as a far more affordable and peaceful alternative to Italy’s popular Lake Como.

Lake Ohrid, which stretches between North Macedonia and Albania, is also described by the magazine as one of Europe’s oldest and deepest natural lakes. Its crystal-clear waters, mountains and historic settlements along the shoreline create a landscape comparable to Europe’s best-known lake destinations.

The recognition from Time Out comes at a time when Ohrid is already gaining increasing international recognition. The city, situated on the shores of one of Europe’s oldest lakes, has in recent years attracted an increasingly diverse range of visitors, from tourists from neighboring countries and Western Europe to travelers from Asia and other parts of the world.

For local tourism professionals, the new recognition is not merely confirmation of Ohrid’s natural beauty, but also an opportunity to position the destination in a more demanding international market. At the same time, the city continues to face challenges such as extending the tourist season, developing higher-quality accommodation, labor shortages and the need for better connections with international markets.

The diversity of tourists Ohrid now attracts is best seen along the lakeshore itself. While some are discovering the city, its churches, monasteries and natural beauty for the first time, others return year after year. Their impressions illustrate precisely why, for many, Ohrid is not merely a holiday destination, but a place they are eager to revisit.

A Bulgarian national visiting Ohrid for the first time said he was delighted with the city and the lake.

Ohrid and its lake, he said, reminded him of well-known holiday resorts.

“It is very beautiful. We compare it with our seaside because there are many hotels along the lake, like a resort on our coast. It is very well developed,” he said.

During their stay, they also visited one of Ohrid’s best-known sites, the Monastery of Saint Naum. They were particularly impressed by the cleanliness of the natural surroundings and the lake.

“It is very clean. Especially up there, where the springs flow into the lake at Saint Naum. It is very clean and beautiful,” he said.

Although this was their first visit to Ohrid, they had visited North Macedonia before. This time, they decided to try a different destination and explore Ohrid, which, they said, was easily accessible from Blagoevgrad.

“The food is good. You have very good cuisine. We regularly come to Macedonia because we are from Blagoevgrad and enter through Delcevo. That is closer for us. But this time we decided to make a change,” he said.

He expects the construction of the motorway to make it even easier for tourists from Bulgaria and other countries in the region to reach Ohrid and to contribute to an increase in visitor numbers.

Ohrid also won over a tourist from Poland, who said that its scenery and atmosphere reminded her somewhat of Albania.

“Honestly, I love it. It really is similar to Albania, and I have been to Albania twice. It is truly beautiful. I have not seen the beach yet, but I am very excited to see it,” she said.

Among the visitors the Kosovo Online team met in Ohrid were tourists from China, who were visiting the city for the first time. Although they had only just begun exploring it, they had already identified what had impressed them most.

“Beautiful country, impressive history,” a Chinese tourist said.

In addition to the natural surroundings and historical heritage, the local cuisine also caught their attention.

“Yes, we tried the local food, sausages and salads. Everything is fresh and delicious,” she said.

For one tourist from the Netherlands, however, Ohrid is no longer an unfamiliar destination. She keeps returning to the city, indicating that her initial impression has long since developed into a habit.

“I think this is my sixth time here. It is very beautiful. We are staying at a hotel by the boulevard and walk from there into town. It is lovely. The people are nice, the water—everything,” she said.

Head of the Tourism and Local Economic Development Sector of the Municipality of Ohrid Gjoko Apostolov believes this is neither the first nor, he expects, the last recognition of this kind that Ohrid will receive. Such accolades, he says, confirm the value of the city’s natural, historical and cultural landmarks, its rich cultural heritage and traditions.

“Year after year, despite increasing globalization, Ohrid is becoming an ever larger and more recognizable tourist destination. We know that in previous years it was featured on the cover of National Geographic and received many other prestigious awards and recognitions. So I would not say we are surprised, but we are certainly flattered because this confirms what we are doing—preserving Ohrid as our ancestors left it to us and leaving it even better for future generations,” Apostolov said.

He stressed that the number of tourists visiting Ohrid was increasing every year, with the number of overnight stays rising alongside visitor numbers.

“Visitors from the Balkan region are certainly still the most numerous, and I would particularly single out tourists from Turkey, who account for the largest number of arrivals in Ohrid. In addition to our neighbors—visitors from Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Greece and Bulgaria—we are seeing increasing numbers of visitors from Western European countries every year. This year we have guests from France and Spain, as well as tourists from Asian countries arriving as part of round trips. We also have a direct connection with Poland, so there are many Polish tourists as well,” Apostolov said.

He stressed that the airport contributes significantly to the increase in foreign visitor numbers and expressed hope that further efforts would be made in the future to improve the quality of services and attract visitors who would stay longer in Ohrid.

Tourists visit Ohrid for various reasons, with Apostolov identifying its natural beauty, cultural and historical heritage and authentic tourism offer as the principal attractions.

“Above all, people come here to explore the city, its natural beauty, Lake Ohrid and the mountains, but also to enjoy the activities offered by active tourism, which is increasingly sought after today and is becoming more popular than the stationary tourism that was more prevalent in the past. Of course, visitors also come for everything Ohrid offers in terms of cultural life—to discover and experience its traditions, visit cultural and historical monuments, try local food and experience the traditional hospitality of the people of Ohrid. I think all of this comes together as a tourism product that provides ample reason for visitors to want to come to Ohrid,” he said.

Ohrid today has around 3,000 registered private accommodation providers and more than 30 hotels, whereas 30 to 40 years ago, Apostolov notes, those numbers were as much as ten times lower.

President of the Hotel Association of Macedonia (HOTAM) Krste Blazevski said the recognition awarded to Ohrid by Time Out was particularly significant for hoteliers because it confirmed the city’s potential to position itself as one of the most attractive tourist destinations.

“We are always very pleased when such news is heard around the world and when we receive positive reactions. Guests feel increasingly confident when choosing such a destination because they know they are coming to one of the best places, as it has been described. This is also reflected in the diversity of visitors coming to us from all over the world,” Blazevski said.

As a hotel owner in Ohrid, Blazevski said that this year’s season ultimately met expectations despite a weaker start.

“Given that the beginning of our season was somewhat weaker and the forecasts did not indicate that the season would reach the expected level, the second half was fully booked. Taking everything into account, we can say that this was a successful tourist season. There are also lessons to be learned from this when making plans for future seasons and years. Visitors are coming from all over,” Blazevski said.

The particularly favorable weather in September, he added, was extending the season and contributing to higher visitor numbers in Ohrid.

“The lake water is still above 25 degrees Celsius, which helps make September one of the busier months. Unfortunately, as soon as the school year begins, the season for our domestic tourists comes to an end. This month is largely limited to weekend tourism, while seminars begin after September. So we will continue to have guests through to the New Year,” he said.

Blazevski expects Ohrid’s international recognition to further increase interest among tour operators and contribute to higher visitor numbers.

“This will certainly resonate with many new tour operators who will become interested in this destination. We hope that at the upcoming tourism fairs over the next several months, all the way through spring, the response will be positive and that many tour operators who previously came here will return. We expect a positive response and an increase in visitor numbers, and we may also see more higher-end tourists,” he said.

The fact that accommodation capacity is often almost entirely booked at the height of the season also demonstrates that Ohrid has room to further develop its tourism offer.

“Should new hotels be built? Yes, certainly. Those new hotels should be five-star properties, offering a different category of accommodation that would attract a different type of guest. We need to start thinking about attracting higher-end visitors. It should not be only about overnight stays and round trips and the like, but about guests who stay for four or five days, so that during the summer we achieve an average stay of four to five days,” Blazevski said.

One of the greatest challenges facing North Macedonia’s tourism industry is the shortage of labor. Blazevski said that the problem was not new and had persisted for years, while the regional labor market was experiencing significant migration.

“These are problems that are being addressed, but they are nothing new. We have had a labor shortage for 15 years. There is labor migration, one could say, from south to north. Viewed in that way, our people go to Croatia, while Croatians go farther north to work. So there is a general migration of labor,” he said.

Nevertheless, he noted that efforts were being made to attract more workers to the hospitality industry and increase young people’s interest in the sector.

“Various efforts are being made to address the problem, increase interest in secondary hospitality schools, provide more qualified staff and so forth. With the arrival of higher-end visitors, we expect this problem to be addressed collectively as well, because there will be better remuneration, larger tips and more expensive products being sold, and consequently we expect conditions to improve,” he said.

At the same time, the opposite trend has also become apparent in recent years, with workers from other countries arriving in North Macedonia to fill gaps in the labor market.

“In recent years, we have also begun to see workers coming here from other countries for whom, for example, a salary of EUR 800 or EUR 1,000 means a great deal, and they do their jobs. Yes, some of them have left the country and moved elsewhere, but others have stayed and continue working here. Migration goes in both directions,” Blazevski said.

Speaking about Ohrid’s future development and the construction of new tourism facilities, Blazevski also pointed to the need to adopt detailed urban plans more quickly, particularly in tourist areas.

“We are behind schedule in adopting detailed urban plans, particularly for the tourist areas we have and those that will be designated for development over the next 20, 30 or 50 years. That is the only way we can make progress. If we do not have foundations, we cannot build a building. We need foundations. Those foundations are detailed urban plans,” Blazevski concluded.

Tourism professor at the University of Skopje Ljupco Janevski assessed that Lake Ohrid being named the most beautiful place in Europe confirmed that the city and lake had the potential to develop into an exclusive tourist destination while remaining accessible to a broad range of visitors.

“Ohrid should be accessible to everyone, but managed differently, with modern destination management and organizations focused on different markets,” Janevski said.

Ohrid, he stressed, is already the country’s most visited tourist destination, but precisely because of the large number of visitors during the summer months, reducing seasonality remains one of the key challenges.

“I believe that the number of tourists already visiting Ohrid is proportionally quite high. Nevertheless, it is our leading tourist destination and a place that experiences major peaks during the season. Increasing efforts should be made to reduce seasonality in Ohrid. Air connectivity is also important, as is developing infrastructure that will enable the arrival of tourists with greater purchasing power. Investments in four- and five-star hotels would make it possible to attract such visitors while simultaneously contributing to the destination’s sustainability and the protection of Ohrid under UNESCO,” Janevski said.

According to him, Ohrid’s future development should be based on stronger destination management and closer cooperation among local stakeholders in order to create a broader tourism development strategy.

“I believe it is crucial to develop destination management and establish destination management organizations that will jointly manage tourism at the local level, exchange information and contribute to creating a broader national strategy for the tourism industry. Ohrid is both a case study and a destination that has been developing for years, but it needs to offer more products aimed not only at the regional market but also at European and global markets. The goal should be to attract tourists who have a greater incentive to stay one additional day at the destination,” Janevski said.

As the former head of the Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism, Janevski believes it is necessary to establish a national tourism organization and adopt a new tourism development strategy so that Ohrid’s international recognition does not remain merely “good news.”

“I believe we need to start at the national level and create the necessary infrastructure, while also establishing a new institutional architecture for the tourism industry. At present, given that the Agency for Promotion and Support of Tourism, whose name clearly defined what it did, has been incorporated into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, I believe it is necessary to establish a national tourism organization as soon as possible, as well as destination management organizations at the local level. A new tourism strategy must also be implemented to confirm the conclusions we have reached on the ground over recent years. Ohrid is already attracting the attention of websites, media outlets and various campaigns, and our task is to channel that attention toward specific destinations that we will develop over the next five or ten years and to target as many tourists as possible from those markets,” he said.

Janevski believes that North Macedonia has the potential to become a year-round tourist destination rather than one visited primarily during the summer season.

“If we have had traditional Dutch tourists for years, if we are developing the German and Austrian markets and have a growing number of regional tourists, we need to offer them products that will motivate new generations to visit Ohrid as well. I believe that Macedonia as a whole is a 12-month destination. There is no need for such pronounced seasonality. We have a broad range of tourism products to offer, and we need to create a balance between different markets and regions,” Janevski said.

He stressed that the Ohrid, or southwestern, region, together with the Skopje region, is the most visited part of the country, accounting for around 65 to 70 percent of tourists, who, he says, are increasingly arriving as part of multi-destination tours.

“We need to develop domestic tour operators and encourage foreign tour operators to offer packages of five, seven or more days in our country. The goal is to position Macedonia as a destination where tourists spend their summer holidays. In that way, in the years ahead, we will no longer speak about underrated destinations; instead, tourists will increasingly explore Macedonia. In my view, it will no longer be Europe’s last undiscovered tourist destination, but will shine in its true light. Wine tourism, religious tourism, archaeology, natural beauty, national parks, culture, ethnic heritage and events are major assets in our tourism story. How we present and promote them, and how we serve the tourists who come here, depends solely on us and our tourism sector,” Janevski concluded.

For tourism professionals working on Lake Ohrid, the city’s growing international recognition is a positive signal and confirmation that Ohrid has the potential to attract even more visitors from different parts of the world.

Boat manager Goran Mihajlovski believes that the recognition Time Out awarded Lake Ohrid could further promote the city and increase tourist numbers. He said this year’s tourism season had already been more than excellent.

“There were tourists from many different countries. They came from Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, America—practically everywhere, from across the entire region,” Mihajlovski said.

In his view, the development of the internet and the availability of information through social media and other media outlets have contributed significantly to making Ohrid more recognizable on the international tourism map. As a result, he said, visitor numbers were also increasing.

“At the moment, I think there are more tourists in Ohrid because, thanks to the media and the internet, many more people are learning about Ohrid and seeing how beautiful it is. That is why we have more tourists,” Mihajlovski said.

He assessed that international recognition of this kind could further strengthen interest in Ohrid, particularly among tourists who had not previously considered the city as a destination.

Boat operator Petar Krleski said that this year’s tourist season had also been better for him than the previous one, although prices and the quality of service, he noted, influenced the decisions of individual visitors.

“Compared with last year, this year has been better for me,” Krleski said.

Ohrid and Saint Naum once again attracted tourists of various nationalities this year.

“This year, we had the most tourists from Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as Turks, who are among the most numerous every year. We also have many foreign visitors from Switzerland and Serbia,” Krleski said.

According to him, a visit to the Monastery of Saint Naum is an essential part of tourists’ stay in Ohrid, while the price of a boat trip for an entire group is EUR 300.

Tourists, he added, also enjoy visiting the Old Town, the Monastery of Saint Naum, the Church of Saint John at Kaneo and the Museum on Water, all of which are among the attractions that complete their experience of Lake Ohrid.