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About Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia - that unforgettable name evoking
images of ancient, great civilizations and exotic adventure - is also a
warm and welcoming modern-day republic in the very heart of
southeastern Europe.
While easily accessible from all points abroad, and
boasting all the amenities of the Western world, Macedonia remains one
of Europe’s last great undiscovered countries: a natural paradise of
mountains, lakes and rivers, where life moves to a different rhythm,
amidst the sprawling grandeur of rich historical ruins and idyllic
villages that have remained practically unchanged for centuries.
Macedonia’s geographical and cultural position as bridge between
East and West, as the crossroads between Christian Europe and the
mystical Orient, is attested to today in its inhabitants.
The Macedonian people – a mixture of ancient Macedonians
and Slavic tribes that settled here starting in the 5th century C.E. –
make up the greatest part of a country where that mixed population is a
vibrant reminder of Macedonia’s rich and lengthy history…
The diverse range of peoples living in Macedonia along
with the Macedonians, like the Albanians, Serbs, Turkish etc. in a
multicultural society that co-existed for thousands of years, just
straightens the fact that this is a place
where hospitality always welcomes visitors and it comes from
the heart.
And indeed, the country’s charms have not been lost on an
increasing number of Westerners today who are now choosing it as their
second home!
In addition to its diversity,, Macedonia’s cultural richness is
expressed in its archaeological legacy. Although just a little country,
it holds many antique theaters, Byzantine churches and Ottoman
mosques, in addition to relics from the Stone Age and even earlier
periods of human civilization.
The city of Ohrid
If
you bathing in Ohrid on a sunny day and suddenly emerge from its
depths, breaking the surface for a moment, you will see on the pale
blue expanse all around you silvery, transparent bubbles, big and
small. In each of them the Sun is doubly reflected, like two focuses of
different sizes. Approaching one of the bigger bubbles, holding your
breath for fear it may burst, you can see in it, as in a distorting
mirror, the reflection of your face, wet and laughing. And all the
time, that bigger sun, like a vast star, hangs over your head.
It all lasts for just an instant, like all beauty, yet it is repeated over and over again...
According
to some legends Kadmos founded the town, but it was the Iliyrian tribe
of Desaretes that stayed in the town for a very long period of time.
The antique name of the town was Lychnidos and as such it was mentioned
in the year 353 B.C. when it was conquered by Philip II Makedonski. In
the Roman time, the town was one of the main points on the major Roman
road communication Via Egnatia. In the Slavic, time it was the seat of
the first Macedonian State or as it was also called Tsar Samoil's
state. A witness of that time is the old Samoil's or Ohrid fortress,
which speaks for the rich and legendary history of the town. In the
town and its surroundings there are numerous cultural monuments that
represent the anthropogenous values of the area. In the vicinity of the
village of Trebenishte is one of the biggest archaeological findings,
characterized by the world famous Trebenishte masks. The find is present
even in the world antilogies.
The Monastery of St.Kliment honouring St.Pantelejmon situated in the
locality of Imaret, south of Samoil's fortress, is one of them. It was
the first university in the Balkans and Europe. In the time of the
Macedonian educator Kliment, 3,500 of his followers were educated here.
After his death in 916 his, relics were buried there. Later, they were
taken to the Church of St.Bogorodica (the Holy Mother of God)
Peribleptos (10th century). This church is also a rare monument and a
treasury of a large number of old church books, handwritings, icons and
fresco-paintings. The latest findings, a ecropolis with 150 graves,
tell that this church used to be a hospital while Kliment was alive.
The Church of St.Jovan of Kaneo belongs to the 14th century and is one
of the most attractive ones. It is situated in the old part of the town
on the steep cliff above the lake. One of the rare cultural monuments
from the Middle Age is the Church of St.Sofija in the area called
S'rische. It is believed to be built by Tsar Samoil, whereas the
fresco-paintings in the church belong to the 11th, 12th and 14th
century. The church was the seat of the Ohrid archbishopric. In fact,
in the town of Ohrid there are around 365 holy places and churches i.e.
one for each day of the year. The Monastery of St.Naum is built on the
steep south shore of the lake 30 km from the town. The great Macedonian
educator Naum founded the Monastery church of St.Arhangel in the 10th
century, whose relics are still in the stone sarcophagus in the church.
There is a legend that says that if you touch the sarcophagus, your
wish will come true. In the church, beside the valuable icons and
fresco-paintings, we can distinguish the wood-carved iconostasis from
the year 1711. The inns are a part of the church complex -7 rooms of
which are used to accommodate the church visitors. The
newly built inn is with 30 suites of high category with a complete
infrastructure. The town of Ohrid is frequently visited by some great
names in the field of art, literature and sport. It is host to a number
of cultural events such as: the Ohrid summer; the Balkan Folklore
Festival; Ohrid handshakes; the more and more popular Ohrid marathon;
etc. From the unique natural beauties, Lake Ohrid is the one that marks
the region, bearing the title as one of the most beautiful tectonic
lakes in the world. It is with an altitude of 699 m, covering an area
of 348.8 km2 (229.9 m2 belong to neighbouring Albania). It is 30.35 km
long and its greatest depth is 287 m. Its crystal clear water provides
an extraordinary translucency of 21 m. It provides excellent swimming
conditions in summer, autumn and even spring. The water temperature in
summer can reach up to 24°C, while the average temperature of the air
is around 22°C. Biljana's springs (near the Hydrobiological institute)
are another attraction, known as the place where the endemic Ohrid trout
has been spawned. The
national park Galicica covers an area of 22,750 hectares and it is on
the mountain bearing the same name. The park connects the two most
beautiful Macedonian lakes - Ohrid and Prespa. The park is home to 1,000
plant species and 177 animal species of which 10 are amphibians, 18
are reptiles, 124 are birds and 18 are mammals. The tourism in Ohrid
and the area is developed. There are over 120 tourist units and the
total bed capacity is 30,723. There are quite a large number of hotels,
recreational facilities for employees as well as residential
facilities attractive for the tourists. The well known holiday areas
along the Ohrid Riviera are: Lagadin, Eleshec, Pestani, Ljubanista,
Trpejca and St.Naum. The best beaches are located in the eastern part
of the lake shoreline and the biggest hotel facilities are in the
locality of St.Stefan, only 5 km from Ohrid The best beaches can be
found in the localities of Kaneo, Lagadin, Gorica. Gradiste,
Ljubaniste, St.Naum; etc. The best hotels outside the town of Ohrid
are: Belvi (552 beds), Metropol (420 beds), Desaret (580 beds), Ineks
(552 beds), Slavija, Orce Nikolov;etc. Palas hotel is one of the best
hotels in the centre of Ohrid. From the recreational facilities for
employees we can distinguish Sileks (240 beds) Granit (280 beds), Beton
(206 beds); etc. Today the town of Ohrid is visited by around 120,000
tourists which have around 670,000 overnight stays i.e. each visitor
stays for 5-6 days which is quite a small figure. Most of the tourists
are from our country, only 15 % go to foreigners.
The Ohrid Lake
Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe.
Its visible waters are rich with flora and fauna species,
among the most famous are the Ohrid trout and the European eel which
is known to flow each year all the way to the coast of South America
where it spawns and then returns to Ohrid Lake!
The several springs composing the lake’s water bulk
represent excellent relaxation sports, and the leasing fresh breeze can
be felt in your hotel room, only meter away from the lake…
The coastline of Lake Ohrid is rich in cultural monuments, fortresses, temples and churches built in caves.
Many kings and emperors were captured by the beauty of this place that they chose it as there capital…
Hotel Desaret
Nestled in the most appealing location on the Lake Ohrid
coast, Hotel Desaret is located in the vicinity of the village Pestani
at distance of only 12 km from Ohrid architectures from the 19
century, designed to offer maximum privacy…
Its surrounding incites the feeling of calmness since
the beach is enclosed with high cliffs and the hotel spreads an
exquisite view of the whole coast and the town of Ohrid.
Nearby the hotel complex, you could visit a variety of churches dating back from the 11th century BC.
The Desaret hotel complex widely opens its doors and
welcomes everybody who would like to hold a seminar, conference or
business meetings in its wonderful surroundings.
The hotel has specially designed halls for such purposes, meeting all standards with their technical equipment.
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