We barely have time to cross the border from Albania before we arrive at one of the highlights of our trip. On a cliff by Lake Ohrid lies the Monastery of Saint Naum (Saint Naum) founded by the saint Saint Naum in 905. That we are here right now, when nature is at its most beautiful, is one of those combinations of luck and timing that you never usually succeed with. But which on this day could not have been better.
The Monastery of Saint Naum is located 29 kilometers south of Ohrid and is one of North Macedonia's most visited destinations. The pilgrimage church we see today is not the original one, however. It was destroyed sometime during the Middle Ages and rebuilt in the 16th century into the church that stands before me today. But the foundation of the church is still the same as that laid by Saint Naum himself in 905.
We walk along the inviting little sandy beach towards the hill with the monastery. It is a nice beach with sun loungers that in the summer is filled with bathers seeking coolness in the clear lake water. I think about how it must feel to come here as a pilgrim. Walking mile after mile to finally reach your goal and then being met by someone in a bikini with an ice cream in hand.
We walk up the hill towards the church and enter through the old wooden gate into the monastery courtyard. The monastery complex in front of us is relatively large and in the middle of the courtyard lies the fine brick-colored church surrounded by cypresses and walls. From the walls the lake opens up. Snow-capped peaks, cherry blossoms and turquoise water. There are views you know you will carry with you for a long time. This is one of them.
Saint Naum of Ohrid is not a man that many people know in Sweden, but here in the region he is a super celebrity. Saint Naum lived during the 9th and 10th centuries and was a disciple of Cyril and Methodius – the men who laid the foundation for the Slavic alphabet and the spread of Christianity in the region. Saint Naum was not only deeply religious, but also very educated. In addition to the monastery, he founded the University of Ohrid, one of the first in the Balkans. Saint Naum is also said to have been able to heal the sick and perform miracles, and the church therefore became a natural pilgrimage destination where people from all over the region turned to seek help and show respect. The man is simply a legend.
We are allowed to enter the church, but not to take pictures. Inside the unexpectedly small church it is dark and quiet. The walls and ceiling are covered in frescoes. Beautiful, strong, colorful figures painted against a black background, which gives the paintings a subdued and almost dreamlike impression. It is cramped and small, just like in the Church of Saint John down by the water in Ohrid. These churches were never built for large services.
Inside the church in one of the small rooms, under a simple and flat stone, lies Saint Naum himself, buried since the year 911. Legend has it that you can still hear his heartbeat if you lean your ear against the stone. A more plausible explanation is that it is the sound of the waves on the lake hitting the mountain below. But faith is sometimes greater than science.
After a short visit, we leave the church and walk down to our lunch. Sitting on wooden pontoons out in the river by the clear freshwater springs, we are served North Macedonian dishes in the sunshine. Sheep cheese salad, garlic mash, ajvar and stuffed grilled pork steaks. All very tasty and the portions are gigantic. For dessert, a baklava slips in – honey-sweet and perfect. There is always room for a baklava, it doesn't matter how full you are.
Besides the beautiful church, one of the most special experiences of this place is the underground springs that replenish the water of Lake Ohrid. Here, water from Lake Prespa flows through deep underground systems and then bubbles up as springs in the riverbed here at Sankt Naum. The water is clear, clean and cold. Drinkable even. In total, there are 700 meters of 45 known springs that provide a unique flora and fauna, including purple algae and small water turtles.
We jump into a rowboat and row out across the turquoise water. The water is so clear that it feels like the guide’s oars are barely touching the surface. We stop at some of the springs to see up close how the water bubbles up through the sand in the riverbed. There is a lot of water coming up from the springs, but it is more or less impossible to capture the phenomenon on film.
I slowly walk back towards the bus and take in the last impressions of the landscape. The entire area around the monastery is more than just a religious site and more than just a church. A special place that holds much more than just beach life and bikinis.
How do I get to Saint Naum?
Sankt Naum is located 3 km south of Ohrid in North Macedonia. The easiest way to get there is by ferry, which leaves several times a day from Ohrid's port. The boat also often stops at the Bay of Bones - an archaeological site that shows historical houses built on stilts.
The nearest international airport is in Skopje or Tirana.
Read more about Ohrid here: Ohrid – Where World Heritage meets Europe’s oldest lake
