The Seven Wonders of Ohrid

This is a particularly interesting program that includes an excursion through the old city of Ohrid but from a more discerning perspective. One very professional guide – Ph.D. in Tourism – will tell you about the seven universal linkages with this unique city which is important for the civilization in its entirety – Ohrid as one of the oldest populated places in the world, the only place with two recognized saints, the major city of pilgrimage for all Orthodox Christians, with 365 churches and monasteries, the Cyrillic alphabet, the first clinic for contagious diseases in Europe, the first university in Europe, with the Byzantine art and the early beginnings of the Renaissance as supreme achievements. To understand the life of the local population, you will also hear some stories about the Balkans in which the Balkan Peninsula is compared to two other peninsulas in Europe – the Apennine Peninsula and the Iberian Peninsula. Through a discussion about the Balkan nations you will learn about their specific philosophies of life, Macedonian folklore, traditional food and drinks. A side view is provided by a combination of walking to the top and back, then sailing in the small boats along the shore – maximum 10 to 12 persons per boat. Departure from the hotel is at 10 o'clock, by bus.

Departure from the hotel after breakfast (you will be notified about the exact time by our agent/host and it will also be posted on our info-board)

Full day excursion

Program:

Our starting point is at the marketplace. We move among the people who sell and buy vegetables, fruits, cheese and other local products. By the Old Plane Tree, you only need one snapshot to put together a cross – St. Holy Mother of God of Kamensko, 13^th century, and a minaret – Zeynel Abedin Pasha Mosque, 17^th century. First we visit the Mosque and then we stroll along the old shopping street, where we choose an old pub to have Turkish coffee with sugar cubes and Turkish delight, drip coffee, tea or espresso with some candy. We move on towards the Square where two great monuments are erected – St. Kiril and Metodij the first Slavic missionaries and inventors of the Glagolitic alphabet; and St. Kliment, Patron Saint of Ohrid, the inventor of Cyrillic alphabet. Close to the Lower Gate there are two small but very important churches which served as the first institutions to prevent spreading of contagious diseases among men and women in Europe – St. Mother of God Bolnicka and St Nikola, both built in the 13^th-14^th century. While contagious diseases raged through medieval Europe, people in Ohrid were able to protect themselves by means of the secrets kept by St. Kliment and St. Naum. We continue towards the handmade paper workshop, in the neighborhood of the Archaeological Museum - House of Robev Family, where you will see clearly the differences between the Roman and Cyrillic alphabet and you will be able to try to make your own paper, using an old Chinese recipe of the 2^nd century B.C. During our visit, you can see and compare the Byzantine art to that of the Renaissance. In the cathedral of St. Sofia (11^th century) you will be fascinated by some frescoes of the Byzantine art. On the other side, in the church of St. Mother of God Perivleptos – the holiest of all, the one who sees, hears and knows everything (13^th century), you will be confronted with something incredible – the earliest beginnings of the Renaissance, at least 10 years prior to the start of this movement's onset in Italy. As for the frescoes – all painted in 1295 – your guide will draw your attention to the saints' facial expression, strong bodies full of life, colorful clothes, well worked out and shaped muscles, deformed toes, clouds three-headed angels, torn socks, population of the world represented through the for human races?! – Columbus discovered America and the red race much later, in 1492; and many other amazing fragments and pieces of art. Our next landmark destination to be observed is Plaosnik, and important segment of the old city, where the first university was opened in 893, far earlier than Bologna – 1088. We are moving at the front side of St. Kliment's sarcophagus, in the recently reconstructed church of St. Panteleimon – originally built in the 9^th century, and we can be informed on the importance of the university among Orthodox Christianity. After the stroll around the remains of the church of the patriarchs of Lychnidos (4^th—6^th century), with its wonderful mosaics, we continue toward the church of St. Jovan Kaneo of the 13^th century, one of the distinguishing landmarks of Ohrid. This special site, in the vicinity of the fishing village Kaneo, is also an opportunity to take a short dinghy tour, which will provide you with a completely different view of Ohrid –  from the Lake. Small boats will take the group to the monument dedicated to the renowned Dutch author A.den Doolaard. His book The Wedding of the Seven Gypsies, seems to be the best advertising material for Ohrid and development of tourism in Macedonia, as never before. At the Springs of Biljana (named after a girl of exceptional beauty who drank from the spring water every day) we finish this excursion with a traditional meal and Macedonian folk music on the terrace of a restaurant, surrounded by nature. Finally, when the program is over, we return to the hotel.

The price includes:

                1.            Transfer hotel-Ohrid-hotel,

                2.            Entry tickets to the churches of St.Sofia, St. Nikola, St. Mother of God Bolnicka
                3.            Cruise on small boats

                4.            Lunch

                5.            Professional guide

The price does not include:

1.      Drinks outside the program

2.       Extra costs outside the program