Photo du Jour: St. John Orthodox Church at Sunset – Ohrid, North Macedonia

A boat glides across the golden, shimmering surface of Lake Ohrid on the eve of Orthodox Easter. A silhouetted version of Saint John at Kaneo stands guard in the background. Archaeologists think that the church was built before the rise of the Ottoman Empire, perhaps in the 13th century. Frescoes adorn Saint John’s dome; they were discovered in the 1960s.

Where in the World?

Planning Pointers:

Are you looking for accommodation in the heart of Ohrid’s Old Town? Shawn and I spent two weeks at the Svetlana Guesthouse (affiliate link), run by friendly and thoughtful Svetlana, along with her extended family. The location was fantastic, as it was about 100 meters to Ohrid’s Ancient Theater, and roughly 200 meters from Samoil’s Fortress. We loved having our own balcony, as well as access to a communal kitchen when we wanted to cook. Svetlana, her children, and grandchildren made our stay in Ohrid extra special – even inviting us to share an Eastern Orthodox Easter lunch with them.
Ohrid’s official website offers additional information about the city.
This link contains an index of all my posts from North Macedonia.

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

31 responses to “Photo du Jour: St. John Orthodox Church at Sunset – Ohrid, North Macedonia”

the eternal traveller

May 4, 2013

How beautiful! I’m lost for words.

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 5, 2013
  
  Carol, what’s incredible is that this city (Ohrid) has more than 300 historic churches like that. It’s a joy walking around the cobbled lanes and stumbling upon the little chapels. This is a beautiful part of the world that we’ve only recently heard of.
  
  1. the eternal traveller
    
    May 5, 2013
    
    I’m looking forward to reading more from you about Ohrid.
  2. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    I’ll report more soon, Carol, but give you a teaser – we had a scorpion drop in to our guesthouse bed the other night. :)
  3. the eternal traveller
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    Oh, that’s not quite the kind of story I was hoping for. Sometimes we get them in the house and they are nasty little things.
  4. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    Carol, this was the first scorpion we’ve ever seen outside of a zoo, so it was quite an event for us. Have you ever been stung by one? I also pondered how our scorpion made it up to the second floor apartment.
  5. the eternal traveller
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    No I haven’t been stung thank goodness. The ones we get here aren’t very big, but I don’t like them all the same. I don’t know how they even get into the house.
  6. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    We’re still trying to figure out how Samuel the Scorpion (more on that nickname later) climbed up onto the bed. I’ve never seen my husband so startled before.
  7. the eternal traveller
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    It sounds like you’re very friendly with Sammy. I think this would make a great new post. Did you take a photo of your husband at that precise moment?
  8. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    May 20, 2013
    
    I didn’t get a shot, Carol, because I was running away from the bed. Once things slow down, I’ll share a post about our memorable interaction with Sam. :)
Andy

May 5, 2013

Beautiful! I have been so busy, but after next week I am going to catch up on some of your travels around the Balkans! Hope all is well!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 5, 2013
  
  Hi Andy – nice to hear from you! Are your studies all-consuming? :)
  
  We went from relative calm in Croatia (since we made that our headquarters for a few weeks) to being on-the-go the past month – rolling through Montenegro, Albania and now Macedonia. This part of the world is so intriguing; I want to keep exploring, but I think we’ll be returning to Germany soon.
  
Marilyn Albright

May 5, 2013

Wow! That is an outstanding photo!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 5, 2013
  
  Thank you, Marilyn. Of course, I had a lot of help from Mother Nature. This lake and the surrounding mountains are really quite spectacular.
  
Bashar A.

May 5, 2013

Gorgeous :)

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 8, 2013
  
  Bashar, we visited that silhouetted church several days later, and it’s equally beautiful. More soon!
  
rigmover

May 5, 2013

Stunning.

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 8, 2013
  
  Mark, Ohrid is indeed stunning! We were surprised to have only recently learned of this beautiful city.
  
ruthincolorado

May 6, 2013

gorgeous!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 8, 2013
  
  We’re sad to leave lovely Ohrid today but happy to have spent 2 beautiful weeks here.
  
Madhu

May 6, 2013

A fabulous shot Tricia!

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  May 8, 2013
  
  Thanks, Madhu. This is a region you’ll definitely have to add to your must-see list. I know you’re focusing upon the less-accessible locations now though. :)
  
  1. Madhu
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    You are right. Europe is not in our immediate radar :-)
  2. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    What are the next spots on the radar?
  3. Madhu
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    My previous comment should have concluded ‘except for Paris this July for a special birthday’. :-)
    Otherwise Africa and Mexico, but not this year though. I just HAVE to see the Taj Mahal before another foreign taxi driver poses an incredulous “You haven’t seen the TAJ???” :-D
  4. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    Madhu, you really haven’t seen the Taj? :) I guess I have a lot of treasures to see in my native country’s backyard too.
    
    A Parisian birthday celebration sounds magnifique! I’m still trying to work out how we might live/work there someday. It’s been a dream of mine since high school.
  5. Madhu
    
    May 8, 2013
    
    No I haven’t!!! And I could live in Paris too, or Provence! :-D .
Deepak Acharya

May 26, 2013

Lovely :)

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  June 5, 2013
  
  Thank you, Deepak. It was indeed a special evening – quite a nice blend of manmade and natural beauty.
  
Diane

June 15, 2013

Terrific to see your blog! Had lived in Ohrid with husband some years ago and though we live in CA (USA), it so reminded me of Laguna Beach … but so much more tranquil and an amazing place so few people ever visit… had no idea of its richness of Christianity … and I believe in the St John Church was where the Apostle Creed was read and where the inspriation was made…

1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  June 16, 2013
  
  How lucky you were to have lived in Ohrid, Diane! How long did you spend there? If you’re curious about more of the Eastern Orthodox traditions there, I did a photo essay on our experience participating with a local Ohrid family during their Easter traditions: https://triciaannemitchell.com/2013/05/06/orthodox-easter-greetings-from-ohrid-macedonia/
  
  I haven’t yet been to Laguna Beach, but would be curious to see how they compare. I particularly appreciated Ohrid’s blend of natural and manmade beauty.