This one might surprise some people and would have been equally surprising for me this time last year as I had no intentions of visiting the country at all. I often look out for cheap flights and back at the start of this year I spotted a flight from London to Ohrid, a place I hadn't heard of before, for just £11. After having done a little research I decided to take the plunge into what was the unknown for me still, not really knowing much about FYR Macedonia or much about the town I was about to visit.
When coming into land at Ohrid I got my first glimpse of some of the spectacular scenery in the region as the plane circled over the lake of the same name and touched down at the tiny airport on its shore. This is still a town and a country getting to grips with tourism and as such things were not, unsurprisingly, laid on for the arriving visitor as is the case in many modern airports these days. It didn't take me long to select one of the few transport options and arrive into the town which is a small but fascinating place. Walking through the old town of Ohrid is like walking through a postcard from the 70s with vintage cars still widely in use and cobbled streets with beautiful views over the lake. The church of St. John at Kuneo is one of the most calming and pretty places I've visited and the walk there was equally so. Whilst still in Europe everything here seemed different to other countries on the continent I had visited previously and that's what signifies its appeal to me.
I witnessed a prime example of the distinct nature of this region on a trip to the country's capital city - Skopje. The stunning, beautifully green, landscape on the way was dotted with hundreds of small mosques, some were high up on the mountains whilst others were low down in the valley but it made for a unique and interesting journey. I had been very pleasantly surprised by what I had seen so far in this country and this continued in Skopje which I found to be a vibrant city that was a great place to be on what was a very hot evening. By the waterside is one of the few remaining genuine bazaars in Europe and a walk across the stone bridge takes you to Macedonia square which is the heart of the city and where I was fortunate enough to stay.
The following day I returned to Ohrid for one more night before my flight home and it has to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable few days I have spent travelling. The fact that this place has not yet been explored by the majority of people means that infrastructure is catching up but perhaps that's a good thing as there is a real sense of authenticity here. The people I came into contact with were very friendly and I won't forget the hospitality shown by the host at the guest house I stayed in Ohrid who greeted me when I returned from Skopje. There is no doubt visiting here presents challenges with the language barrier being particularly notable for instance but it would be worth your time and effort to explore this place before everyone else begins to.
To see some pictures from my visit to FYR Macedonia click here.
