October 30, 20266 min read

Lake Ohrid by Car From Tirana: Pogradec, Ohrid and St. Naum

A road trip to Lake Ohrid with a rental car from Tirana: the drive via Elbasan, the Albanian shore at Pogradec and Lin, and crossing into North Macedonia to Ohrid.

One of Europe's Oldest Lakes

Lake Ohrid is over a million years old and shared between Albania and North Macedonia. The Albanian shore is quiet and green; the Macedonian side has the old town of Ohrid, a UNESCO site. With a car you can see both in a weekend.

Route From Tirana

Tirana → Elbasan: 45 km on the new road, about 45 minutes

Elbasan → Librazhd → Pogradec: about 95 km, 1.5–2 hours

Total: about 140 km, 2.5–3 hours

The Albanian Shore

Pogradec — a lakeside promenade and fresh koran, the lake's own trout

Lin — a small fishing village on a peninsula with an early Christian mosaic

Drilon springs — clear spring water and gardens, 5 km from Pogradec

Crossing to North Macedonia

The Tushemisht / Sveti Naum border is just south of Pogradec. From there:

St. Naum Monastery: 2 km, on the lake shore with boat rides on the springs

Ohrid town: about 30 km along the eastern shore

North Macedonia is one of the three countries Rentalux cars may visit. You need written approval, the €60 cross-border fee and Green Card insurance bought separately. Read the rental rules before you go.

Ohrid Old Town

Walk from the old bazaar up to the Church of St. John at Kaneo, perched above the water, and on to Samuel's Fortress. Evenings on the lakefront are lovely from May to October.