Where to stay in Ohrid

The district you pick shapes your evenings and your transport more than the room does. Ohrid itself is small, but the old town is cobbles and stairs, the lakefront is where the noise gathers after dark, and the beaches that people come for lie 8 to 20 km to the south.

Varoš, the old town, is a tangle of narrow lanes climbing the hill, lined with houses from the National Revival. From here the promenade, the Church of St Sophia and the ancient theatre are all a short walk, and that is the whole case for sleeping here. The climb from the old town to the fortress takes 10 to 15 minutes on cobbles.

The case against is luggage. A suitcase on cobbles is a chore, and a car has nowhere to go, so arrive light or ask the host to meet you at the bottom of the hill. Old Town Hostel Ohrid, Sunset Lake Hostel and Blue Lake Hostel are the cheap beds in the area. Prices: €8–15 (dorm bed).

The promenade and the new town: lake or price

The Kej, the promenade, is where the boats leave and where the restaurants set their tables by the water. It is also noisy at night in season. A light sleeper should ask which way the window faces.

The new town trades atmosphere for sense. Apartments and rooms are cheaper there, parking is easier, and the lake is five to fifteen minutes on foot. For a longer stay it is the practical base. Three-star hotels: €20–35 per person (double room).

Kaneo is the old fishing quarter, with few rooms, a steep walk up to the centre and rocks to swim from at the door. The wooden walkway links it to the old town, and a small boat taxi also runs from the harbour to the pier below the church. It starts at the end of Ilindenska Street, beside St Sophia, and runs across the Potpeš cove to the Kaneo beach, so the stroll home after dinner is a pleasure and the climb back up to the centre is a workout.

Lagadin lies about 8 km south of Ohrid, Trpejca about 17, Gradište about 20 and Ljubaništa about 30. Lagadin has sand and pebbles, loungers, bars and a car park, with lifeguards in July and August. Gradište adds bars and music, while Trpejca is a cove nicknamed the Macedonian Saint-Tropez. Ljubaništa, near Sveti Naum, has sand and asks a small fee. All of them are free to enter, and you pay for the lounger, the drink and the parking.

The south shore suits those who care more about the water than the sights. A car or a bus is needed to get anywhere, and in the evening there is little transport back, so a late dinner in town means a taxi.

When to book and registration

From late June to August, rooms by the water cost roughly double, and the best ones fill months ahead. May, June and September are cheaper and still warm enough to swim, which is why they suit anyone with flexible dates. Struga, 15 km away, is a cheaper base for those with transport. A hotel or any paid lodging registers foreign guests with the police itself, so there is no form to chase.

BudgetWhat a bed, a ticket and a boat add up to is gathered on the budget page.What Ohrid costs →

Getting aroundGetting around covers the taxi from the airport and the bus from Skopje, which matter more once the base is chosen.Getting around Ohrid →

3 daysThree days of the old town, the lake and a mountain or a neighbouring town are laid out on the itinerary page.Ohrid in 3 days →

When to goWhen the lake warms and when the prices climb is set out month by month on the page on when to go.The best time to visit Ohrid →

FoodThe food page names where to sit down in the evening, whichever district the bed is in.What to eat in Ohrid →

BeachesLagadin, Trpejca and Gradište are compared, beach by beach, on the beaches page.Beaches in Ohrid →

Day tripsSveti Naum, Struga and Bitola reach out from any base, and the day trips page lists how.Day trips from Ohrid →

MistakesA wrong district is one of the errors collected on the mistakes page.Mistakes everyone makes in Ohrid →