Ohrid selected among top 10 cities to visit in 2017 by Lonely Planet

Ohrid, the lakeside town of Macedonia across Albania’s shores of Lake Ohrid has been selected among top 10 cities to visit in 2017, according to ‘Best in Travel’ edition if Lonely Planet.

Ohrid is ranked 5^th in the world for 2017, leaving behind renowned cities like Seoul, Lisbon and Moscow.

“Overlooking the extraordinarily blue waters of its eponymous lake, Ohrid enjoys a stunning position that is best viewed from a boat. From the water you’ll see the town’s terracotta roofs broken up by centuries-old church spires (the city claims once to have had 365) and overlooked by the turreted walls of Car Samoil’s Castle”, says Lonely Planet in its Best in Travel edition.

While the land-locked small Balkan country has been poised by an ongoing political crisis, its investment and tourism climate continues to flourish thanks to aggressive marketing and incentive policies. Macedonia’s government has spent millions of Euros in promotional campaigns, primarily focused on promoting the small country across the CNN platform.

The top 10 cities to visit in 2017 by Lonely Planet includes Bordeaux, France – Cape Town, South Africa – Los Angeles, USA – Merida, Mexico – Ohrid, Macedonia – Pistoia, Italy – Seoul, South Korea – Lisbon, Portugal – Moscow, Russia – Portland, Oregon.

Ohrid is a small resort city in Macedonia on the hilly shores of Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem which stretches between Macedonia and Albania.

Situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, this area is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe. The Lake Ohrid region, a mixed World Heritage property covering 83,350 ha, was inscribed into UNESCO for its natural values in 1979 and for its cultural values a year later. Lake Ohrid is a superlative natural phenomenon, providing refuge for numerous endemic and relict freshwater species of flora and fauna dating from the tertiary period.

According to Lonely Planet, “Ohrid has transformed itself from Macedonia’s religious centre to its busiest holiday resort, and its beaches are the best by far in this otherwise landlocked nation. However, a planned new lake-shore development will likely change this sleepy town forever, making now a great time to go”.

The city offers a compact old town, medieval churches, monasteries and open-air ruins stand alongside traditional houses with red-tiled roofs. The massive walls of the centuries-old Samoil’s Fortress, at the top of the hill, dominate the city skyline making it the top destination of Macedonia and one of the most beautiful spots to visit in the Balkans.