The appeal of the lake: Ohrid in North Macedonia offers not only fascinating history, but also delicious wines and good value for money

After telling my mom that I’m taking her to dinner at the lake, I panic. She chooses a dimly lit waterfront restaurant where the tables are covered in white linen, the waiters wear bow ties and jackets, and lobster is on the menu…

And when the bill arrived, my eyes widened in disbelief – three courses per course and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon cost just £56.

This seems to be typical of Lake Ohrid, a little-known place in the interior of North Macedonia.

The price-performance ratio is just one of many lures.

Largely overlooked by British tourists, the Balkan destination is historic, beautiful and a surprising rising star in the wine world.

The capital – also called Ohrid – is fascinating. My mother and I take a walking tour that lasts more than two hours because our guide Vlado has so much to tell about the history of the place.

He shows us those that were originally in the 4th century BC. City gates built in BC; he tells us about the “hospital churches” of the 14th century where plague patients were quarantined; he introduces us to the 18th-century mansions built in an inverted pyramid shape to provide additional space for their residents; he takes us to the Hellenistic amphitheater, discovered by chance in the 1980s; and he takes us to the 13th-century Church of Our Lady of the Glorious, also called the Sistine Chapel of Macedonia because of its elaborate ceiling paintings.

We stay at the 130-room Unique Resort & Spa, a 20-minute walk from the Old City. Surrounded by fir-covered mountains, it is in an extremely quiet part of Ohrid, yet close enough to the hustle and bustle of the center to keep things interesting. It was fully booked during our stay but we never had any problems getting a sun lounger by the pool.

The lake’s capital – called Ohrid (above) – is “fascinating”. Sarah writes: “My mother and I take a two-hour walking tour because our guide Vlado has so much to say about his story.”

Prehistoric: Sarah sails past the Bay of Bones (above), a replica of a high-altitude overwater settlement that existed in prehistoric times

Our history lesson continues the next day with a boat ride along the eastern shore of the lake. We sail past the Bay of Bones, a replica of a high-altitude overwater settlement from prehistoric times, and visit the hilltop monastery of Saint Naum, where wall paintings depict the miracles of the 10th-century missionary.

During this boat ride, my mother and I talk about how untouched much of the land around Ohrid is. The entire southeastern shore of the lake borders the Galicica National Park – an ellipse of 130 square kilometers of forest dotted with hiking trails.

Beginner hikers may feel more comfortable taking a guide with them to explore this landscape, as the trails are not all well signposted. However, experienced hikers can navigate trails that lead to 1,900 meter peaks and uninhabited plateaus perfect for wild camping.

Sarah visits the hilltop monastery of St. Naum (above) and discovered that it was decorated with wall paintings

A beautiful mural in the Saint Naum monastery

Since we are rather hopeless hikers, we find another way to penetrate the greenery of Lake Ohrid: a visit to the monastery’s winery. Nestled among hazelnut, pine and beech trees at the end of a narrow path, it is exactly what the name suggests: a monastery that produces wine and offers tours and tastings.

We sit next to the swirling stream used to cool the wine tanks in the summer and taste a floral Muscat, a Semillon with a hint of pear and a chocolate Vranac, and tuck into a platter of cheese, meat and traditional dipping soaps such as Ajvar – made from – graze smoked red pepper and eggplant.

Later in our trip we want to learn more about the country’s wines and visit the Villa and Winery Mal Sveti Kliment, a winery and bar in the Old Town. Led by experts Almir and Elena – from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust regulator – this place is a library of North Macedonian wines.

Holy Water: One morning Sarah walks to the 13th-century St. John’s Church (above), overlooking Lake Ohrid

Sarah stays at Unique Resort & Spa (pictured), a 20-minute walk from Ohrid Old Town

The couple introduces us to a fresh new sparkling wine from the Vardar River Valley region, as well as the winery’s salmon pink rosé, made from the ancient Pamid grape variety in underground clay amphora pots. It tastes like a delicious bowl of summer strawberries.

To clear our heads the next morning, we follow the promenade that hugs the cliffs on the lake shore, just beyond the center of Ohrid. We follow the promenade up to a hill where cigar-shaped cypress trees cover the 13th-century St. John’s Church stands guard and rests on a picnic bench overlooking the 138 square mile lake.

In the distance we can see Albania. I think Lake Ohrid may not yet be at the forefront of most British tourists’ minds, but the experiences we’ve had leave it indelibly etched in my memory.