STRUGA TRAVEL NOTES

Struga is a town which is located 15-20 km north of Ohrid. The most densely populated cut here is Albanians.

I hadn't planned to go to Struga before I set out for the Balkans but I had to reach Tirana first in order to get to Shkodra and the only option to come to Tirana was to take the bus from Struga as there were no direct buses from Ohrid.

In this article, I would like to give some information about Struga, mostly on transportation.

• TRANSPORTATION

In order to get to Struga, you should jump on minibuses from Ohrid which depart every 20 minutes. As far as I know, they also depart from the main bus terminal but I decided to take one at Jane Sandanski Street near a taxi stop.

The journey from Ohrid to Struga takes exactly 40 minutes and the fare is 40 MKD. If you would like to go to Struga Bus Terminal you should get off at St. Petka. Just ask the driver to let you get off there. Even if you have a big luggage they don't charge any extra fee like big buses in Macedonia. However, if you decide to catch a cab from Ohrid, it will probably cost you around 5-6 Euros.

Now, this part is very vital because it is not clear even if you have a look at maps to find Struga Bus Terminal. After you step off the minibus at St. Petka Church you should pass it and turn right. You should keep going until you see a wide roundabout. Don't be confused if you feel like you are in a motorway. Anyway, you should also pass the roundabout in the same direction you have come from. You will see car maintenance places on your left but you will keep going for a short while. Finally, you will see the sign Stanica Autobusave and after that you will also see the bus terminal if you turn left. Shortly, it will take just 15 minutes by walking to reach Struga Bus Terminal from St. Petka Church.

As far as I know, there is also one more bus terminal in the town, but you have to use this one if you want to go to Albania. Tickets are bought inside the building and bus platforms can be reached from there.

• PLACES TO VISIT IN STRUGA

I had left a little bit earlier from Ohrid to get to see some places in Struga. I couldn't see much as I had to carry a big suitcase. Let me try to tell you what I saw in the town :

River Black Drin : Looks a very sweet river that divides the town into two pieces.

Church of St. Petka : It is located just off the point where I took photo above. It was closed when I passed there. So I don't have anything to say about it.

Church of St. George : I think this church is not so old, too.

There are some old houses that are need to be repaired or restored a little bit near the Church of St. George as well as some other areas.

Apart from these places, there is also Halveti Hajati Hasan Baba Tekje on Touristica Street near the police department.

Finally, Evliya Çelebi says in his travelbook that there was a 12-arched wooden bridge where River Black Drim meets Ohrid Lake. He also says the main bridge of the town was this and there were hundreds of fishponds under the bridge. I didn't get to the place which he mentions, but a symbolic bridge was recently built by the Struga Municipality at the same place as far as what I read on the internet.

On my next article, you will be able to find my travel notes and experiences about Shkodra, Albania.