Ohrid, the so-called Jerusalem of the Balkans, is in the Republic of North Macedonia located on Lake Ohrid’s eastern shores. It has had continuous inhabitation since its first settlements in the 4^th century B.C. from the Illyrian tribes of Enchelai and Dassaretae when it was known as Lychnidos. Since Christianity’s first centuries, the faith set roots so firmly that it once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year. The city and the area were colonized by the Slavs, but the city continued to prosper under many Empires. Due to its vast cultural inheritance and its state of preservation, Ohrid and the lake in 1978 were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today Ohrid is the jewel of North Macedonia and the pearl of Lake Ohrid.

Bitola is the largest economic center in the Pelagonian Valley. The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. It has been part of the lands of the Lyncestis since ancient times. Heraklea Lynkestis was located close to the modern city. Founded in the mid-4^th century B.C. by Philip II, its importance was due to being on the Roman Empire’s Via Egnatia. Because of its rich antiquity, there are many objects from Greek and Roman cultures. During the Byzantine Empire, it was an important Episcopal center but was raided by the Slavic tribes during their marches. During the Middle Ages, the Slavic tribes settled in the area, and in the late 14^th century Bitola became part of the Ottoman Empire under the name Manastir and prospered until 1912 when it became part of North Macedonia.

The ancient city of Butrint is much preferable to be visited as an archaeological center, where antiquity and beauty intertwine. The archaeological excavations show that Butrint has been an important center of the Kaonian Illyrians, one of the big tribes of southern Illyria. According to discoveries made in the area, it has been proved that the site was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic period. In the 6-th century, BC Greeks from Corfu settled here, alongside with Illyrians and the new colony prospered as the result of the trade. By the fifth century BC, Buthroton was an Illyrian fortified city. In the fourth century, BC Butrint had fallen to Epirus, and in 167 BC it was taken by Rome. It was a seat of a Byzantine bishop in the 10-th century. Butrint was captured by the Normans in the eleventh century and passed to Venice from 1690 to 1797 when Ali Pasha Tepelena captured it. With the fall of the Pashallek of Janina, in 1822, Butrint passed under Ottoman rule until 1913. Several excavations dating from the 1-st and 4-th centuries AD can now be visited, among them the Old Amphitheatre, the temple of Asclepiads or Aesculapius, the Baptistery, Nymphaeum and the ancient city walls. Do not miss the Baptistery, with a floor of colorful mosaics. An old fortress housing a small museum watches over the whole site.