Korca of Serenades Guaranteed excursion from Ohrid

The tour will begin in Ohrid, Macedonia, the largest city on Lake Ohrid. It once had 365 churches, one for every day of the year, and has been referred to as a “Jerusalem of the Balkans.”

After meeting your guide you will travel south to Korça, Albania, along the shores of Lake Ohrid. Korça is one of the largest and most important cultural and economic centers of Albania. It has a variety of museums ranging from the Education Museum (located in the building where the first Albanian school opened in 1887) to the National Museum of Medieval Art and the house of the famous landscape painter Vangjush Mio. Other sites include a cemetery for French soldiers who died in World War I. Iliaz Mirahori Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Albania. It was built by Iljaz Hoxha in 1484. The resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral was built by Greece in 1995 to replace the historic St. George Cathedral that was destroyed by Communist authorities in 1968.

Besides the museums and monuments, Korça is host to the largest carnival in Albania, held before Orthodox Easter. The city is also known for its local music, called serenata. You can hear this music sung in the local taverns.

You will have free time for lunch in Korça. Be sure to try the traditional cooking: pie (lakror), grilled lamb, and pancakes (petulla te fshira), a perfect accompaniment while you listen to serenata and sip the local raki.

After lunch, you will visit Birra Korca, brewers of one of the best beers in Albania. There is a pleasant beer garden where you can mingle with locals, and enjoy their reasonable prices. You can taste their beers and see why this brewery receives excellent reviews.

Travel back to Ohrid along the beautiful shores of Lake Prespa.