Subscribe to NEE
Text resize: A A
Change contrast
|
Subscribe to NEE

Calls to save the Ohrid region grow in North Macedonia

For nearly five decades, the ancient city of Ohrid and its lake have enjoyed UNESCO protection as one of the world’s rare mixed natural and cultural heritage sites. Yet a wave of uncontrolled construction, illegal development and mounting tourism pressure is now transforming the region’s historic panorama, and raising the real possibility that Lake Ohrid could soon be placed on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger.

June 22, 2026 - Miki Trajkovski - Issue 4 2026MagazineStories and ideas

The North Macedonian Flag flies above the old town of Ohrid and Lake Ohrid. “Ohrid’s cultural heritage is today under serious pressure, pressure that is not only theoretical, but clearly visible on the ground,” says Zdraveski from Ekomelog. Photo: Zeuslight by Alexander / Shutterstock

Mass and uncontrolled urbanization is gradually changing the face of Ohrid and Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia, which have been under UNESCO protection for nearly five decades. In 1979, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed Lake Ohrid on the list of natural heritage, and already the following year, in 1980, Ohrid was also listed as cultural heritage. The Ohrid region is one of only 39 mixed sites in the world protected by UNESCO as both cultural and natural heritage. However, in recent years the region has been facing a serious challenge of being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, precisely due to urban degradation, as well as a number of other problems.

“I still believe that the process of de-urbanization and de-appropriation of the Lake Ohrid shoreline should begin. Everything that has been usurped should be returned, and urbanization as a process should be moved away from the city centre. Without these two elements – de-urbanization and de-appropriation – we cannot achieve more serious progress, and this will be noted in UNESCO missions,” says Dejan Panoski, founder of the Day of Lake Ohrid, an initiative which aims to raise awareness for the protection of the lake’s unique, ancient ecosystem.

This article is for members only

Join the New Eastern Europe community to unlock this article — plus enjoy full access to premium content, our digital archive, newsletter insights, and podcast updates.

BECOME A MEMBER!

Already a member? Sign in to read the full article.

, , , ,

Partners

Terms of Use | Cookie policy | Copyryight 2026 Kolegium Europy Wschodniej im. Jana Nowaka-Jeziorańskiego 31-153 Kraków
Agencja digital: hauerpower studio krakow.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. View more
Cookies settings
Accept
Decline
Privacy & Cookie policy
Privacy & Cookies policy
Cookies list
Cookie name Active
Poniższa Polityka Prywatności – klauzule informacyjne dotyczące przetwarzania danych osobowych w związku z korzystaniem z serwisu internetowego https://neweasterneurope.eu/ lub usług dostępnych za jego pośrednictwem Polityka Prywatności zawiera informacje wymagane przez przepisy Rozporządzenia Parlamentu Europejskiego i Rady 2016/679 w sprawie ochrony osób fizycznych w związku z przetwarzaniem danych osobowych i w sprawie swobodnego przepływu takich danych oraz uchylenia dyrektywy 95/46/WE (RODO). Całość do przeczytania pod tym linkiem
Save settings
Cookies settings