Hi, I'm Gjoko Kostoski. I organize tours and festivals here in Ohrid.
Today, I will show you my hometown!
Gjoko Kostoski was born in the city of Ohrid in North Macedonia.
And he has five insider recommendations for visitors.
Ohrid has about 40,000 inhabitants and is situated directly along Lake Ohrid,
one of the oldest lakes in the world.
It straddles the border between North Macedonia and Albania.
Located at the top of the city’s highest mountain, the imposing structure boasts a splendid view
— stretching as far as the 2,000-meter-tall mountains across the Albanian border.
The city of Ohrid is full of different historical and cultural monuments.
And it’s approximately 2.5 million years old.
Next, stroll through the well-preserved old city.
Since 1979, Lake Ohrid and its surroundings have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Abounding with churches, monasteries, and cultural monuments,
medieval Ohrid was a spiritual center for Christianity.
But the city’s history dates back much further:
This is the ancient theater of Ohrid.
It was built in approximately the 2nd or 3rd century BC.
Firstly, it was a theater for theatrical shows, poetry, music and that type of things.
But when the Romans came here, they converted this theater to be for gladiator fights.
The amphitheater is one of the few ancient structures still preserved here.
On some of these old stones, you can find written names of the people that sat here.
The people had reservations for the theatrical shows for their whole life!
This ancient theater today is used for the Ohrid summer festival.
Also, the city of Ohrid has many cultural events.
I organize Kostoski festival every year in Ohrid, and for Kostoski festival can apply
brass bands, majorettes, folklore dance groups and choirs.
There were once 365 churches in Ohrid, earning it its nickname “Jerusalem of the Balkans”.
The most famous one is the Church of St. Sophia, dating back to the 11th century.
Under Ottoman rule, the church was turned into a mosque for a time.
The Church of St. Sophia is built on an early Christian basilica.
And inside the frescos are one of the oldest frescos from the Byzantine time.
The frescos are from the 11th century.
Gjoko Kostoski’s third recommendation is to visit a pearl craft shop.
Two families in the city have been creating pearl jewelry here for about one hundred years.
Their pieces are a hit among tourists and even European royalty.
However, the pearls aren’t even from Lake Ohrid but actually the Indian Ocean.
And the secret is how they’re prepared — adorned with scales from plashica fish
native to the lake.
What she has is very shiny, but I don’t know much about pearls.
So what I see is that they look very nice and very special.
It is beautiful.
I feel good!
About a century ago, the two families obtained the secret recipe for the pearl emulsion
from a Russian immigrant.
And they have been passing it down orally ever since — from one generation to the next.
They prepare the pearls completely by hand.
And the fish scales are the main ingredient in the otherwise strictly guarded recipe.
The craftspeople apply the coating in eight layers.
Lake Ohrid isn’t fed by rivers but by underground springs.
Estimated to be two to three million years old and about 300 meters deep,
it’s one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world.
And Gjoko Kostoski’s fourth recommendation is: Go for a boat ride.
The fascinating thing is the water of the lake,
because it’s very pure.
This is not like the other lakes, that are smaller, that are green.
This is very pure.
And when you see it, you will think that this is sea!
It’s not like some othe lake that you will visit.
It’s very similar to Lake Baikal.
Besides tourism, fishing is also very important for the towns around Lake Ohrid.
Its waters are home to some 200 animal species native exclusively to the lake.
It’s a popular destination among fishers, and many make special trips here from neighboring regions.
You can also try freshly caught fish in one of Ohrid’s cozy restaurants.
Like Ohrid trout — native exclusively to here.
That’s Gjoko Kostoski’s fifth insider recommendation.
The Ohrid fish is very specific for Lake Ohrid by its dots.
It has some red dots, that are very specific for this fish and it has a big difference in the taste.
It's more tasteful than sea fish.
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