Old Bazaar Street, Ohrid

The Old Bazaar ain't what it used to be. Or perhaps it never was a world-class market place. Ohrid has always been a religious and cultural center more then anything else. It shines not as a center for trade. So the bazaar is simple. It is just one street extending up from the waterfront to the Main Square of town, not a great distance.

The bazaar extends from the Square downhill to the waterfront or it reaches the square from the shore of Lake Ohrid, whichever way one chooses. It is a walk, no cars. The street is variously paved with cobblestones in the narrow parts or with marble slates in the wider parts. In olden times, the street was covered with grape vines for shade.

Starting from the Main Square, one passes through the food market (formerly an animal market). The few original stores of the bazaar are made of stone. The Ohrid market provides a very different experience than that of Greek or Serbian markets. The open market is not noisy. The merchants sell their foods with a calm not found elsewhere.

After the food market is the Turkish bazaar. Here are kebabs, baklava, Turkish delights, and other foods in the Ottoman legacy. Shoemakers, barbers, leather shops, pearl makers and various other crafts may satisfy the pleasant needs of everyday.