Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in Europe, perhaps a million years old or more, a deep, clear basin shared between Albania and North Macedonia, and this point lies on the Albanian side, close to Pogradec. The lake is so old and so isolated that it has developed its own species, with dozens of fish, snails and crustaceans found nowhere else. The most famous is the Ohrid trout, locally known as koran, which is protected and appears on menus with some controversy. UNESCO listed the lake and the town of Ohrid together for their natural and cultural heritage, and the Albanian shore is a part of the same landscape.
The shoreline here is quiet and low, with reed beds, small beaches, pebbly coves and rows of willows, and the water is a startling blue in the sun. Behind the lake, the Mokra and Galičica mountains rise steeply, with the snow lingering into May. Near the village of Lin, on a small peninsula, a church of the sixth century contains a splendid early Christian floor mosaic of animals and birds, a reminder that the lake was a Christian centre long before the monasteries of Ohrid.
Pogradec is a relaxed lakeside town of over sixty thousand, with a promenade, cafes and fish restaurants, and it is popular with Albanians and visitors from Kosovo and North Macedonia in summer. A good meal here is grilled trout or carp with a salad and a glass of local raki, and the sunset over the water is a sight worth waiting for. Close to the town, the springs at Drilon, with their clear water and old trees, are a lovely place for a break.
The roads around the lake are generally good, if narrow in places, with the main route running along the shore and a series of climbs into the hills. Traffic can be heavy in summer, and Albanian driving style demands alertness, as overtaking on blind corners is common. Spring and the first weeks of autumn are kindest, with warm water and fewer crowds. Winter is cold, with fog over the lake, and the mountain roads can be icy.
Petrol is easy to find in Pogradec, and smaller places like Përrenjas have stations too. Across the border, Ohrid in North Macedonia is nearby, with its churches, old town and the Byzantine fortress above the lake, but remember to take your vehicle documents and a green card for the border crossing.