North Macedonia
Tumba

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • Day 16

      Lac d'Ohrid

      July 22, 2023 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      Fin de journée à Ohrid considéré comme la côte d'Azur de Macédoine.
      Le lac est assez sympa. Le camping un peu foutraque (2 douches et 4 toilettes pour 200 personnes) mais l'ambiance est sympa.
      Petit bémol vers 23h quand l'hôtel d'à côté organisait une soirée privée avec un concert (pas sûr).
      Nous avions lu 2 avis sur internet qui disait que les hôtels environnants mettait de la musique forte le soir. Nous pensions à des commentaires de grincheux. Eh bien non...
      Le volume était très très très fort. Un seul chanteur (tout naze), jusqu'à 2h du matin ! Nous avions l'impression d'être dans la fosse d'une salle de concert....
      (Cela nous rappelle une rave party près de Dijon 😉😉)
      On repart le lendemain matin en direction de Skopje (la capitale) et en passant à Tetovo sans nous attendre à des merveilles.
      Read more

    • Day 54–55

      Es perlt schon wieder...

      September 8, 2023 in North Macedonia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      In Ohrid dagegen blüht das Leben am See: Ausfahrtschiffe ohne Ende, Unterwasserboot-Fahrten, eine Festung mit Altstadt, Juweliergeschäfte mit Perlen aus dem Ohridsee, Shoppingmalls und ausgezeichnete Restaurants.

      Wir fühlen uns sehr wohl, baden im See, sonnen uns an der grünen Promenade und essen leckeren Fisch mit Livemusik am Seeufer.

      (Fun)facts:

      Hier gibt es die kleinste Marine der Welt.

      Der Ohridsee ist der älteste und tiefste See Europas.

      Von den Ohrid-Perlen ist nur der Lack aus dem See. Ist der Lack ab, bleibt nur eine billige Perle aus China übrig.
      (Zugegebenermaßen ist allerdings das Lackrezept einzigartig: Nur eine Familie in Ohrid kennt seit Jahrzehnten das Rezept aus Schuppen ohridseeischer Fische.)

      Ajvar (eine traditionelle Paprikapaste): Angeblich liegt hier sein Ursprung.

      2014 haben die Albaner Nord-Mazedonien angegriffen, weil dort so viele Albaner leben. Seitdem ist Albanisch zweite Amtssprache!
      Read more

    • Ohrid

      June 3, 2019 in North Macedonia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      Lake Ohrid is 3 hours away from Skopje by mini bus and our home for the next three days.
      The town is bigger than we thought and surprisingly busy considering that the summer season hasnt really started yet. Not too crowded, just right to create a nice atmosphere. The town itself doesn't really have a beach, you need to go a little further out for that but as the weather is rainy and not that hot anyway we decided to go for a big walk instead. We saw the old town, ancient theatre, fortress, churches and boardwalk. A little nap was needed before we hit the pub for quite a few drinks, including the local speciality; rakia. Macedonians were still celebrating their handball European Championship victory from the previous day.Read more

    • Day 33

      Macedonia

      June 19, 2016 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      Our guidance from the crew upon arrival in Skopje for where to go was a bit off, so it took a bit longer to get oriented, but we figured it out. There is lots of old architecture that's been given updates, which is a rather unusual and interesting look. Alexander the Great was a famous Macedonian and the is a large square dedicated to him. Everything from monuments to buildings to parks and sidewalks are completely riddled with paintball attacks in all colours imaginable, not just the usual graffiti. The amount of damage is actually quite shocking as you walk and drive through the city.

      The drive through the mountains was also amazingly beautiful!

      We were only in Macedonia for the night and stayed in a small town called Struga. The campground was on the shores of Lake Ohrid (one of Europe's oldest and deepest lakes, over 300 meters in some places) and put campsite was right on the water!
      Read more

    • Day 214

      Arrival in Ohrid

      August 2, 2015 in North Macedonia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

      So this weekend I'm spending it in Ohrid, a UNESCO heritage listed town and the more famous and touristy area of Macedonia. I have stumbled upon the best weekend really as its a long weekend celebrating Macedonian independence and many celebrations are taking place.

      After arriving on my bus and fighting a dude for my seat all the way, I decided that I could walk to my hostel. This is probably the worst part of my travelling day. I have a rough idea of where I’m supposed to be going, but I have no wifi to confirm that I’m headed in the right direction, everyone around you are 'sharks’ and you have to keep particular attention to your belongings.

      So off I went the direction I hoped was correct. After a couple of nice girls helping me along the way I found myself, right in the centre of Old Town and up a giant hill towards my hostel.

      The town is flowing with people. Aside from the national celebrations this weekend, there is also the summer festival, consisting of plays, concerts and music festivals, which are taking place along the beaches around the lake. Needless to say the town is jam-packed.

      I find my hostel, which I am less then impressed with, but grow to enjoy. It’s three storeys with a lounge area downstairs and a backyard. My floor has the kitchen and a balcony, which looks out over the lake. Two brothers, who seem to be doing everything by the seat of their pants, run the place.

      They also seem to be seeing dollar signs this weekend and are charging people to sleep in the hammock outside, or to pitch up their tents in the back yard. I thought someone said it was €7 a night. But people are desperate to be here, so they are paying it. I have a comfortable bed upstairs, with two lockers.

      The highlight is that practically everyone from the Shanti Hostel is here! I walk in to greet welcoming faces and old friends. It’s such a wonderful feeling. My love for Macedonia grows.

      On Friday afternoon I went on my own tour of the town. I walked down the main pedestrian area, all along the coastal front and pass the famous pop up summer restaurants / swimming areas and up to a very old church. It has fantastic views over the lake. I then walked further up hill and then back down going past another church that had a pop up theatre out the back, for the summer festival.

      Tonight I hang out with my Kiwi mates and all the new faces here, drinking a lovely bottle of Macedonia red, whilst the others downed cheap €3, 3L bottles of red. Someone is going to have a nasty hangover in the morning. After a pizza and more red we head out to see the Ohrid nightlife. We make our way to a popular nightclub, which has a woman playing a really cool violin alongside the DJ. We dance for a bit and a notice that loads of people are smoking inside the club. After two songs I’m done. Nightclubs aren’t my thing haha. And I head back to the safety of the hostel for a good night’s sleep.
      Read more

    • Day 215

      Ohrid: a weekend

      August 3, 2015 in North Macedonia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      On Saturday I had breakfast with an American who lives in NZ now. I asked for the pancakes, which are crepes, and order the honey and nut one. Basically it's like baklava in crepe form, the crepe is soaking in honey – yummy!

      Stephanie (NZ friend) has decided to join me in attending a musical performance tonight. A famous Serbian violinist is performing in this old amphitheatre with a piano, singer and another instrument. So we buy tickets and agree to meet later on.

      I have a wander around town, as later on this afternoon I’m going on a boat tour. The old town is a beautiful mixture of the country's history. The buildings have paint peeling off them, old red tiles scattered and wood stacked around. My pictures do a better justice I hope. Pebble roads are the majority.

      My hostel organises boat tours everyday for up to 6 people at a time. For 400 dinar you get a two hour boat road across the lake, a couple of swims, beers and fruit. There were only three of us from the hostel today, so a couple of the hostel owners friends joined us. It seems a bit of a dodgy business deal really, but we had a good time.

      The water was beautiful and fresh, very unlike the incredibly salty water in Greece. The boat is this beat up little dingy and we all have to balance carefully getting in and out of the boat to ensure we don’t tip. We place music and pull up around one of the small beaches for a swim as well.

      But rain clouds are drawing in so we head back in time to reach for cover because a thunderstorm unleashes across the town early in the evening. Which is perfect when you have an outdoor event to attend.

      We arrived to the ancient theatre and were delayed a little bit as the organised quickly raced around drying seats and putting down cushions. The event was titled 'Tango Compass’ and Stefan Milenkovic was the famous violinist. A piano, accordionist, cello player and singer for certain numbers accompanied him. It was just brilliant! A very special event to attend.

      On Sunday I had chicken and chips and sat down along the beachfront having dinner. It felt a bit like a Friday night on the strand. It was humid and there were people everywhere. On Monday I walked down to the beaches were some of the celebrations were happening last night. I also went and had a pedicure, because why not.

      For my final meal in Ohrid an American joined me for dinner at one of the cheap streets we’d found. She was a very interested person to meet, as she currently works for ESPN assisting in the broadcasts for the tennis Grand Slams. She was currently kicking back after Wimbledon and waiting for the US Open to start! Jealous haha.

      And with that my time in Ohrid and in Macedonia came to an end. I’ve had a wonderful time here, making new friends, exploring a new culture and eating lots of barbequed meats.

      Food in Macedonia:

      http://www.buzzfeed.com/jovcov/delicious-macedo…

      I loved the Burek, wine, Mekici (!), shopska salata, BBQ meats, bread and cheese

      Performance I saw:

      http://meta.mk/odlichen-nastap-na-stefan-milenk…
      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Tumba

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android