Ohrid.
A town that has been
worth the journey
for a thousand years.
One of the very few places on earth inscribed by UNESCO for both its culture and its nature — and the setting for PCFM 2027.
A conference town that does not feel like one
Most conference cities are places you fly into, sit inside for three days, and fly out of. Ohrid is not that kind of place.
The old town climbs a hill straight out of the water: cobbled lanes, wooden houses leaning over the street, Byzantine churches with frescoes that have been looked after for centuries, and a fortress on the ridge above it all. At the bottom, a lakefront promenade of cafés and fishing boats. You can walk the entire town in an afternoon — and still be finding new corners on the third day.
The lake itself is the other half of the story. It is one of the oldest lakes in the world and among the deepest in Europe, home to species found nowhere else. In late June the water is warm enough to swim, the evenings are long, and dinner on the shore is the natural end of a day of sessions.
And it remains, by European standards, remarkably affordable — a coffee by the water, a full dinner with local wine, a boat across the bay: all at a fraction of what the same evening costs in most conference cities.
What you will want to see
All of it within walking distance of the lakefront — a free afternoon is enough for most of this list.
Church of St. John at Kaneo
The image everyone knows: a small 13th-century church on a cliff directly above the water. Ten minutes' walk from the harbour, and the best light is in the evening.
Samuel's Fortress
The medieval fortress on the ridge, from the time when Ohrid was the capital of Tsar Samuel's realm (976–1014). Walk the walls for the view over the whole lake.
Plaošnik & St. Clement's
The site where, in the ninth century, one of the first Slavic centres of learning was founded — a university before universities. Rebuilt church, mosaics, excavations.
The Ancient Theatre
A Hellenistic theatre from around the third century BC, still in use for summer performances, tucked between houses in the middle of the old town.
Church of St. Sophia
An eleventh-century basilica with some of the most important Byzantine frescoes in the region — and, in summer, a courtyard used for concerts.
The old bazaar & the lakefront
Ohrid pearls, hand-made paper from the workshop that still uses a replica Gutenberg press, and a promenade built for the evening walk.
The reason people extend their stay
Click any photograph to open it full size.
If you stay the weekend
The conference closes on Thursday. Everything below is within an hour or two — enough for a Friday, a Saturday, and a very good reason not to fly home immediately.
- Sveti NaumA tenth-century monastery at the southern end of the lake, beside springs so clear the riverbed looks lit from below. Reachable by boat.
- GaličicaThe national park on the ridge between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa — two lakes in one view, and the best walking in the region.
- Bay of BonesA reconstructed prehistoric settlement built on stilts over the water, on the site of a genuine Bronze Age village.
- BeachesThe eastern shore is a string of small bays and swimming spots. Late June is warm, and not yet the high-season crowd.
Getting there, and what to expect
Short answers to the questions people ask before they book.
Ohrid has its own airport
Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport (OHD) sits nine kilometres from town, with a direct connection to Istanbul and seasonal European services. Skopje (about three hours by road) and Tirana are the usual alternatives, and both offer more choice.
Visa-free for many nationalities
North Macedonia is visa-free for holders of ordinary Turkish passports and for EU/Schengen citizens, among others. Requirements vary by nationality — the secretariat can issue invitation letters on request.
Warm days, long evenings
Late June and early July are typically warm and dry, with the lake already warm enough to swim. The heaviest crowds arrive with the Ohrid Summer Festival in mid-July, but hotels start filling from late June — book early.
Denars, and it goes far
The currency is the Macedonian denar; cards are widely accepted. By European standards, eating out and getting around cost noticeably less than in most conference cities.
English is fine
Macedonian is the official language, but English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and by anyone working with visitors. Turkish is also understood by some, a legacy of the region's history.
You will mostly walk
The old town and the lakefront are a few minutes apart on foot. The conference venue will be announced in the last week of October 2026 and its location given here. Taxis are inexpensive, and boats run along the shore in summer.
Map served by Google. Open Ohrid on OpenStreetMap →
Three days of science.
And a lake that has been here a million years.
PCFM 2027 — 29 June to 1 July 2027, on the shore of Lake Ohrid.
Back to the conference