Struga

Struga (Струга) is a lakeside town on the northern shore of Lake Ohrid, where the Black Drin flows out of the lake through the middle of town towards Albania and the Adriatic. Its river promenades, beaches and relaxed pace make it a quieter neighbour of Ohrid, and the lake's UNESCO protected landscape reaches its shores.

Bridges cross the Black Drin in the centre, and the promenades along both banks fill with people in the evening. Struga is known for the Struga Poetry Evenings, an international poetry festival held each summer since the 1960s, at which poets read on the bridge over the river. The Miladinov brothers, nineteenth century writers and collectors of folk songs, were born here, and their house is a museum, as is the natural history collection of the town. Show more

Along the lake shore, beaches stretch west towards the Albanian border, and the cave monastery of Kališta and the cave church of Radožda cling to cliffs above the water. In the hills, the village of Vevčani is known for its springs and for a carnival in January with masks and satire. Lake fish and eel dishes are part of local cooking, while the lake's native trout is a protected species.

Struga is reached by road from Ohrid in about twenty minutes, and Ohrid airport lies between the two towns. Several days suit a lake holiday combined with Ohrid. Summer is the bathing season, while spring and autumn are calm and pleasant for walks.