Ohrid craft tour

Program

In this tour, you will see and learn more about the unique crafts in Ohrid which have been practiced there for centuries, and luckily there are still locals who continue the tradition. Our tour starts from the main square in Ohrid with an introduction and a short history of the city. First, we will visit the pearl shop of the family Filevi, who produces the original Ohrid pearl. The secret of making is passed from generation to generation, and there we will have a presentation and learn more about this Ohrid brand. From there, we will enter the old part of town through the lower gate, and we will admire traditional Ohrid architecture. Not far away from the pearl workshop, we will visit another workshop where skilled craftsmen produce jewelry from Macedonian ruby and filigree. Macedonia is the only country that has a founding of ruby in Europe and the ruby in Macedonia has a unique raspberry color. In this workshop, we will learn more about Macedonian ruby and the filigree. Then, we continue our tour through the old part of the city to the workshop for hand-made paper. Here, Ljupcho, the man who has a passion for making hand-made paper will show us the manner in which paper was produced in Ohrid in the 16th century. Here, you will also see a replica of the press of Gutenberg (the original is in Mainz, while another replica can be found in Bled, Slovenia, and Ohrid) and you can see the way it functions. You may also buy unique souvenirs made of this home-made paper. Next to this workshop, is one of the most beautiful homes in Ohrid, the house of the family Robevi, built in 1861 which represents the Ohrid traditional architecture. This house nowadays is a museum, and except for the many artifacts inside, we will see the work of Ohrid woodcarving school. The upper floor of the museum is dedicated to woodcarving, and here you will be amazed at the masterpieces by the Ohrid woodcarvers. Woodcarving is very popular in the Ohrid region, and that is the reason why after this museum we will visit a woodcarving workshop, where we will see and learn more about the making of this woodwork. Later, we will pass through the church St. Sophia, and we will start to walk uphill to visit the ancient theatre in Ohrid. From the ancient theatre, we will go inside the church Mother of God Peribleptos and we will admire at one of the most beautiful frescoes in Macedonia. Next to the church Mother of God, is the Gallery of icons, where we will see very important frescoes and learn more about icon and fresco paintings. After this, we will pass across the church St. Clement and the first university in Europe, and continue downhill to one of the most beautiful views in Macedonia and in Ohrid, church St. John Kaneo, together with Ohrid Lake. From there, with small boats, we will go back to the port close to the main square in Ohrid, which is our last stop of the tour.