Albania: Yearly Vacation - Albania - Passing Lake Ohrid
Seventeen days, two motorcycles, one destination. For this year's holiday, Nada and I headed to Albania, planning to explore its coastline from north to south before turning towards the mountains and making our way home through some of the country's most scenic landscapes.
After packing our luggage in the morning, we climbed back onto the motorcycles and set off into a chilly autumn day. At an elevation of around 850 metres above sea level, Korçë can be surprisingly cold in the morning, even after the warmth of the Albanian coast.
We had barely left the city before making our first stop at Kisha e Shën Dëllisë (Orthodox Church of Saint Elijah), a small church overlooking the surrounding countryside. The peaceful setting and morning light made it well worth the short detour.
From there, we continued towards Lake Ohrid and the lakeside city of Pogradec. Reaching Pogradec, we rode straight through the town and climbed to Maja e Kalasë (898 m), where the ruins of an ancient fortress overlook Lake Ohrid and the surrounding landscape.
We continued to the picturesque village of Lin, located on a small peninsula extending into Lake Ohrid. After driving through the village, we picked up some food, parked the motorcycles and walked down to the lakeshore. With one of Europe's oldest lakes stretching out before us, it was the perfect place to enjoy a simple lunch and a short break before continuing our journey.
Back on the motorcycles, we continued north. Freshly paved roads and light traffic made for enjoyable riding, but after a few more hours in the saddle, our energy levels began to fade once again. A lunch stop in Peshkopi provided the perfect excuse to rest, refuel and prepare for the final part of the day's journey.
The road ahead had generated plenty of discussion during our planning. Depending on the source, we could expect anything from a rough gravel track to a well-maintained mountain road. Fortunately, reality exceeded expectations. Instead of the feared washboard surfaces and dust, we found a surprisingly good road winding through the mountains.
As the afternoon progressed, the scenery became increasingly remote and spectacular. Eventually, we arrived in Radomirë, a small mountain village best known as one of the main starting points for excursions to Mount Korab, the highest mountain in both Albania and North Macedonia.
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| The Church of Saint Elijah stands on Shëndëlli Hill above Korçë. The present stone church was built in 1937-1938 and survived Albania's anti-religious campaign of 1967, when it was converted into a pensioners' club instead of being demolished. It returned to religious use in 1991 as communism came to an end. |
A brief stop, two candles and a moment of peace inside the Church of Saint Elijah - Kisha e Profetit Ilia.
Above Pogradec, we rode to Maja e Kalasë, where the panorama of Lake Ohrid opened up before us. The hill was once the site of an ancient fortified settlement and Pogradec Castle, strategically positioned to control the surrounding area and the lakeshore below. Today, only fragments of the old walls remain, together with a monument that crowns the summit and overlooks both the city and one of Europe's oldest lakes.
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| At an estimated 1.3 to 2 million years old, Lake Ohrid is hundreds of times older than most European lakes, many of which were formed only after the last Ice Age. |
Finding Lake Ohrid was easy. Finding a grocery store or something to eat turned out to be slightly more challenging.
Making our way through the narrow streets of Lin, where the locals were busy solving the world's problems.
Mission accomplished: food acquired. The search for the perfect lakeside picnic spot could now begin.
The Lin peninsula has been inhabited for at least 8500 years. Recent archaeological discoveries revealed the remains of a prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement dating back to around 6000 BC, making it one of the oldest known lakeside settlements in Europe.
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| Following a path marked on the map, which supposedly led to the shore of Lake Ohrid. |
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| Lake Ohrid covers 358 km², reaches a depth of 288 metres and contains around 55 km³ of water, making it one of Europe's most remarkable lakes. |
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| A small ladybird, a little good luck and many kilometres still ahead of us. |
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| Finally, we reached the shores of Lake Ohrid. Of its 87.5 km shoreline, approximately two-thirds belong to North Macedonia, while the remaining third lies in Albania. |
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| The food disappeared almost as quickly as we unpacked it. |
On the way back to Lin, we picked up an unexpected travelling companion.
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| Dating back to the 6th century, the ruins of the Early Christian Basilica of Lin still contain remarkable mosaic floors overlooking Lake Ohrid. |
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| Blue Horse and Thunder patiently waiting for the next stage of the journey - Garmin Connect. |
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| More than 200 species found in Lake Ohrid live nowhere else on Earth. The lake contains around 55 km³ of water, which is renewed remarkably slowly, taking approximately 70 years for a complete turnover. Its exceptionally clear waters can offer underwater visibility of more than 20 metres under favourable conditions. |
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| Back on the motorcycles, riding through the sparsely populated eastern regions of Albania. |
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| Nothing brightens a motorcyclist's day quite like a newly surfaced mountain road. |
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| Northbound through the mountains of eastern Albania. |
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| The scenery may have changed, but the wilderness continued. |
After several hours on the road, a traditional Albanian lunch in Peshkopi was exactly what we needed before continuing towards the mountains.
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| Below, the Black Drin continues its journey from Lake Ohrid towards its confluence with the White Drin in northern Albania. |
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| View towards Korab mountain range. |
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| Focused. |
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| We had prepared for gravel, but were rewarded with a beautifully paved mountain road instead. |
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| Arriving to Radomirë. |
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| Day 11: From Korçë to Radomirë - 239 km. |
Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Second Angel of peace", TBA8B55 and "Twin Star", TB33TN8):
- Kisha e Shën Ilia (Saint Elijah’s Church), GC68BV3
- Pogradec's Fortified Past: Castle Cache, GCAE1K5
- Lake Ohrid, GC1E16N
- Eight Boys Challenge, Mystery, GCAECJF, where I spotted the codes of trackable items "South East UK Mega 2024 SEM24 74jen and ECOBAKE TB", TBAWBJQ, "Travel Track Jen's Superlambanana", TB848KW and "Lackey Tag Allybobllyy Lackey Tag", TBAHVBW
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