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

After I tell my mom that I’m going to treat her to dinner at the lake, I start to panic. She chooses a dimly lit waterfront restaurant, where the tables are covered in white linen, the wait staff wear bow ties and vests, and lobster is on the menu…

And when the bill comes, my eyes widen in disbelief – three courses each and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon cost just £56.

This appears to be typical of Lake Ohrid, a little-known spot in landlocked North Macedonia.

The value for money is just one of a long list of lures.

The Balkan destination – largely overlooked by British tourists – is steeped in history, pretty pin-up and a surprising rising star in the wine world.

The main city – also called Ohrid – is fascinating. My mother and I join a walking tour that lasts over two hours because our guide, Vlado, has so much to say about its history.

He shows us the city gates originally built in the 4th century 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 that were built in inverted pyramid shapes to give their residents extra space; he takes us to the Hellenistic amphitheater discovered by chance in the 1980s; and he leads us inside the 13th-century Church of Our Lady of the Most Glorious, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of Macedonia because of its intricate ceiling paintings.

We are staying at the Unique Resort & Spa with 130 rooms, a 20-minute walk from the old town. Backed by fir-covered mountains, it’s 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 trouble finding a lounger by the pool.

The lake’s main city – called Ohrid (above) – is ‘fascinating’. Sarah writes: ‘My mother and I are taking part in a two-hour walking tour because our guide, Vlado, has so much to say about its history’

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

Our history lesson continues the next day, on a boat trip along the eastern shore of the lake. We sail past the Bay of Bones, a replica of a perched overwater settlement that existed in prehistoric times, and visit the hilltop Monastery of Saint Naum, where murals depict the miracles performed by the 10th-century missionary.

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

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

Sarah visits the hilltop Monastery of Saint Naum (above) and discovers it is decorated with murals

A beautiful mural in the monastery of Saint Naum

Being quite hopeless hikers, we find another way to enter the greenery of Lake Ohrid: a visit to the monastery winery. Located among hazel, pine and beech trees at the end of a narrow path, it is exactly as its name suggests: a monastery that produces wine and offers tours and tastings.

Sitting next to the spinning stream used in summer to cool the wine tanks, we try a floral muscat, a semillon with a hint of pear and a chocolatey vranac and graze on a platter of cheeses, meats and traditional dips such as ajvar – made from smoked red pepper and eggplant.

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

Holy water: One morning, Sarah takes a walk to the 13th-century St. John’s Church (above), which overlooks Lake Ohrid

Sarah is staying at the Unique Resort & Spa (pictured), a 20-minute walk from Ohrid’s Old Town

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

To clear our heads the next morning, we follow the promenade that clings to the cliffs on the lakeshore, just past the center of Ohrid. We follow the wooden walkway to a hilltop where cigar-shaped cypress trees stand guard over the 13th-century St. John’s Church and rest on a picnic bench overlooking the 138-square-mile lake.

In the distance we can see Albania. I muse that Lake Ohrid may not yet be at the forefront of most British tourists’ minds, but the experiences we had ensure that it is indelibly etched in mine.