Protecting Lake Ohrid, Albania and Macedonia

The Fourth Transboundary meeting took place on 27 and 28 October in Struga, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The meeting was organised within the framework of the project “Towards Strengthened Governance of the Shared Transboundary Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Lake Ohrid Region”. A Transboundary Platform strengthens the synergies among the existing transboundary management structures, such as the Joint Secretary of the Watershed Management Committee for Lake Ohrid and ongoing initiatives such as the UNESCO Man and Biosphere designations, in order to enhance management of the Lake Ohrid region in the two countries. Representatives from the Macedonian Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, and the Ministry of Culture, representatives of the Albanian Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Culture, representatives of the Albanian National Agency on Protected Areas, members of the joint secretariat of the Transboundary Water Management Committee for Lake Oh

Every year Lonely Planet puts out their new book Best In Travel. For 2017 the little-known city of Ohrid in Macedonia sneaks in at number five , renowned for its position overlooking an extraordinary blue lake . 5 . Ohrid, Macedonia Overlooking the extraordinarily blue waters of its eponymous lake, Ohrid enjoys a stunning position that is best viewed from a boat. From the water you’ll see the town’s terracotta roofs broken up by centuries-old church spires (the city claims once to have had 365) and overlooked by the turreted walls of Car Samoil’s Castle. Ohrid has transformed itself from Macedonia’s religious centre to its busiest holiday resort, and its beaches are the best by far in this otherwise landlocked nation. However, a planned new lake-shore development will likely change this sleepy town forever, making now a great time to go. Read the original article:  http://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/cities?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bes

"My City" is the tittle of the Latest Photo Competition organized in Pogradec, Lake Ohrid Region. The activity was an initiative of "Dare to Act"and RIAS local organization, which was financed by the OlofPalme Center and Swedish funds. This project aimed to promote the youth's talent in photography. It was also an activity to raise awareness of citizens, especially among young people for protecting the environment, as well as developing ideas about tourism perspective of the city. This competition was focused not only in beautiful photos of the city and panorama, but also photos from daily life, where people live, the real face of urban and rural life of Pogradec area.Nevertheless, the Lake and the life around it dominated the competition. Young people believe that the lake is the spirit of this city, but also the most important source of living. This competition has three winners: The first place: Klaudio Spirollari The second Place: redon Hamolli Thi

The beautiful peninsula of Lin, on the shores of Lake Ohrid, is becoming so attractive lately, not only for its amazing natural panorama, but also for its cultural and heritage values. This drone view of the massive rock of Lin Peninsula is filmed by Michael Hussey, who has been several times in Lin, but this summer 2016, he brought a drone to film this area, and to have the view of this amazing place always with him. Here how he describes his experience: "I first visited Lin exactly ten years previously to the day I returned (August 18, 2006). My wife (and girlfriend at the time) were driving to the south of Albania when we were struck by the massive rock jutting out into Lake Ohrid. We had to stop. We met two young boys, cousins Amit and Kiton, who agreed to show us to the top of the rock. On our way, they showed us an ancient basilica, that was just recently under excavation. They swept away dirt in various spots uncovering 1500 year old mosaics. We then trekked out to the

Galicica park A Regional Course is taking place in the Lake Ohrid region between 4 and 13 October 2016. This Course on Promoting People-Centred Approaches aims at providing heritage practitioners with the necessary tools to engaging communities in the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. The course is organized in the framework of the project “Towards strengthened governance of the shared transboundary natural and cultural heritage of the Lake Ohrid region”. At Ministry of Culture The two first days it was the Albania’s Ministry of Culture who welcomed 20 participants from seven southeast Europe countries who are meeting for the first time to discuss how communities are contributing to heritage – and how they can benefit from it. This marked the opening session of the second People-Centred Approaches course organized by ICCROM. This short course is primarily aimed at heritage practitioners, providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools to work more effecti

Scuba divers are attracted to Lake Ohrid, one of the deepest and most ancient lakes in Europe, where adventurers can find true archeological treasures on its floor. Known for its unique biodiversity, Lake Ohrid revealed its hidden history when a local diver, Milutin Sekuloski, discovered remnants of a Bronze Age settlement. *Milutin Sekuloski, diving instructor trainer, Amfora diving center:*“Why do many tourists want to dive here? To see the authentic artefacts of the prehistoric settlement from 3200 years ago. Many want to take photos and videos underwater.” Tourists can visit the reconstructed lake village and take an hour-long dive to find pieces of ancient ceramics, bones, tools and even jewelry on the lake floor. Original source: http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/19/macedonias-mysterious-lake-dive