Ohrid Day Trips:
Vo Kujnata
After you have visited the major
sites in Old Town there are plenty of other options for
day trips arouand Ohrid. Some popular options:
#1: St. Naum: The most popular is clearly the trip to St. Naum,
which is located about 30 km southward along the lake. You
can go by boat (400 denars round trip, leaves around 11 am,
takes 1.5 hours each way and boat stops for about 2.5 hours
in St. Naum), by taxi (500-700 denars one way, about 30 minute s), or by bus (100 denars one-way). While there, don’t miss
the rowboat tour up the Black Drim Springs for only 100 denars
per person. Make sure to ask the rower to let you off at the end
for a few minutes so you can visit the small building housing
the natural springs. You can also stay the night at the monastery there (35 euro for a double room with a mountain view).
#2: Ohrid and Prespa Lake Drive: Forbes Magazine rated this as
one of the 20 most beautiful drives in Europe. You will need
to hire a driver for this for around 60 euro and it will take 5-6
hours. Be sure to have the driver head towards St. Naum stopping at the fishing village Trpejca for lunch by the water. After
lunch, drive through the Livada Pass. From there you can stop
and hike up to a viewpoint and see both lakes at once. Around
Prespa you can take a boat ride to the Island Golam Grad, stop
at the Bird Sanctuary, visit the Ethno Museum in Podmochani,
and many monasteries along the way.
#3: Adventure Activities in Kuratica: About 20 km north of
Ohrid is the small mountain village of Kuratica. Among the
offerings: donkey safaris (don’t forget your helmet), mountain
biking, and jeep tours. You can also enjoy a traditional meal
prepared and served in the home of a local villager.
#4: Hiking: There are several trails and roads leading from
Ohrid to the villages high above the lake. Head out towards
the Sports Complex and you will see a gas station. Walk to
the other side of the station and you will see a sign for Galicica
National Park and some amazing stone steps. Up these steps,
you will find another sign with information about different
hikes in the area. A personal favorite is the hike up to the village Velestovo. This takes about 2-3 hours but you can make it
longer as there are dirt roads and paths that lead high above
Velestovo. The views this hike provides are bar none.
Additional Information:
1. http://www.ohrid.com.mk/ (Official site of Ohrid and has
pictures of each beach under the Riviera Map tab)
2. http://www.visitohrid.com.mk/ Lists a few places with Villa
Germanoff highly recommended by many volunteers at only
60 euro for up to four people. Also, if you prefer a hostel, check
out the following website http://sunnylakehostel.com/.
3. For good write-ups of each site on the walking tour: http://
members.virtualtourist.com/m/6117e/6e6c1/4/.
4. For more information about adventures in Kuratica, email
[email protected] or [email protected]. Phone:
075 607 705 or 046 266 306
5. Lost in Ohrid Custom Tours: 50 euro total for group up to
20 people for 1/2 day walking tour of Ohrid. Contact Katerina;
web: www.lostinohrid.com; phone: 070672423.
Skopsko is ready for summer with
Silver Moon
By Ben Long
This time around In the Kitchen, we won’t talk about how to make something, but rather about something I usually have in my kitchen: beer.
I remember hearing that one of the first words we would learn in Macedonia would be Skopsko, the most popular of the Macedonian beers. While
it may not have been the first word I learned, it has certainly stuck with me.
So when I saw a new brand of Skopsko at my favorite café, I had to give it
a shot. And then tell you my opinion of it. So here is my short review of
the new Skopsko Silver Moon.
One of my friends told me Skopsko Silver Moon was a light beer, but it’s
certainly not a light beer in the American sense. It’s not quite as heavy as
traditional Skopsko, but I doubt it has any fewer calories or lower alcohol
content as its older brother.
Silver Moon is billed as having a “pleasant, soft taste” and as being a
refreshing party beverage. The soft taste part is right, and if it’s really cold,
it is certainly refreshing on a hot summer day. The bottle also claims that
it is produced by the original recipe (of Skopsko, I assume), but the differences to traditional Skopsko are pretty distinct, if not overwhelming.
Basically, this is a light lager. It’s kind of like a Macedonian corona. It’s
not very hoppy or bitter, and its definitely on the sweeter side. It would
probably be good with a lime (if you could find one). This is the kind of
beer that would be great really cold on a hot summer day. I could see definitely drinking on of these on a summer afternoon in July or at a summer
nightclub.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything wrong with this beer. First off, it
comes in a clear glass bottle (which isn’t returnable), which could explain
its somewhat bland taste. Also the comparison to Corona isn’t all that accurate. I could imagine the people at Skopsko imagine this as the Macedonian Corona, but it strikes me as having more in common with Miller High
Life. Finally, it’s not cheap. A bottle will run you 120 denars at a café and
at Tinex you’ll pay 65. That’s is more than twice as much as a traditional
Skopsko at the grocery store, and about fifty percent more at a café.
My final verdict on this beer is that it’s a welcome change of pace and
it’s nice to see a Macedonian business trying something new. Its not overwhelming different, but it’s a step in the right direction, and as a summer
beer it worth a shot. But the price tag might make you think twice about
ordering a second round.
spring/summer 2008 - 13