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.