Calls to save the Ohrid region grow in North Macedonia

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.

More harm than good

In recent years, several activities have been carried out to remove illegally constructed structures and urban equipment along the shoreline of Lake Ohrid. These measures were undertaken as part of the country’s obligations to improve the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid Region, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Particular attention was given to the removal of unauthorized platforms, terraces, hospitality facilities, and other structures that had a negative impact on the natural appearance of the shoreline, biodiversity, and the integrity of the area. These activities are directly linked to the recommendations set out in the reports of the Reactive Monitoring Missions of UNESCO, IUCN, and ICOMOS, carried out in the Ohrid Region on several occasions.

 “According to UNESCO findings, urbanization and construction pressure are among the main threats. This involves uncontrolled or inadequately planned construction, especially in the coastal belt and sensitive zones, which directly undermines the integrity of the area,” says Konstantin Zdraveski from the Ecology Association Ekomenolog in Ohrid. “There is a serious problem with urban planning. According to reports, some plans are not aligned with protection regimes or are not consistently implemented, and in some cases decisions are made without a full assessment of their impact on the heritage,” he adds. Zdraveski says that according to all relevant analyses, this is a systemic problem, a combination of institutional weaknesses, insufficient control, and development policies that are not always aligned with protection principles.

It is time for the growth of the city of Ohrid to be directed away from the old city core, says environmental activist Gjoko Zoroski. “This would be necessary because Ohrid has for decades faced pressure from urbanization, especially in the central urban area and along the lakeshore. Although such development is inevitable, it is becoming increasingly clear that its current concentration in the heart of the city creates more harm than benefit, both for cultural heritage and the environment,” says Zoroski.

He adds that the old town core and the city centre have limited space and capacity. “Overcrowding with new buildings, increased traffic, and tourism pressure will lead to a growing degradation of authenticity, as well as infrastructure problems such as water supply and waste management. The solution is not to stop development, but to redirect it. Urbanization should be planned in peripheral areas where there is more space for sustainable settlements with modern infrastructure and as many green spaces as possible. This would reduce the pressure on the city centre and enable more balanced economic development,” he says.

The National Institute and Museum–Ohrid argues that the city and the entire region have great value as a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site. However, they also face vulnerabilities such as illegal construction and excessive urbanization, which damage their authentic appearance. Measures are now being taken to preserve it.

“The state is taking actions to demolish some illegal buildings, has adopted a management plan, and has initiated the restoration of significant sites, but the process is slow and not always consistent. Positive aspects include growing public awareness among the local population and the activities of institutions such as our Institute and Museum-Ohrid, with numerous projects for conservation, as well as for digitization and presentation of cultural heritage. There is increasing discussion about sustainable tourism. The general conclusion is that Ohrid is not “destroyed”, but it is not safe either. It is in a delicate balance, if protection is strengthened, it can remain on the World Heritage list, but if uncontrolled development continues, the risk to its UNESCO status is real,” says Goran Patchev, the director of the Ohrid Museum.

Patchev says that the latest recommendations from the UNESCO monitoring mission in 2025 are quite realistic and concrete. “They also refer to the Albanian side, as well as to the natural heritage, which is not under the responsibility of our institution. Our institution is only one piece of the mosaic of institutions and stakeholders that need to jointly complete the progress report on addressing these remarks. The biggest concerns relate to the rapid urbanization on both our side and the Albanian side. As for individually protected sites and locations, we take care of them as much as the cultural budget allows, which we know is always on the margins,” Patchev notes.

Under pressure

After several years of efforts, UNESCO also placed the Albanian part of Lake Ohrid under its protection as World Heritage in 2019. This means that since then, all recommendations from the agency apply to both sides of the lake, i.e. to the authorities in both Skopje and Tirana.

“As for cross-border dialogue at the institutional and operational level, we can say that it is taking place in close cooperation with representatives from the Albanian side, who are also responsible for the cultural heritage of the Ohrid region on their side. We had successful discussions on the sidelines of the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in September [last year], in Paris,” explains Patchev.

“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. “In the old town, there are visible interventions in buildings that do not always respect traditional architectural values, which gradually undermines the city’s authentic appearance. According to findings from monitoring missions, inappropriate reconstruction and extensions are also being carried out on buildings that are part of the protected area. Additionally, the coastal zone is exposed to urbanization, with the installation of platforms, hospitality facilities, and other infrastructure that alter the historical and natural image of the area,” Zdraveski says.

According to him, it is particularly concerning that the visual integrity of the cultural landscape – the relationship between the city, the lake, and the surrounding hills – is gradually being disrupted. “The construction of new buildings with inappropriate height, volume, and materials creates disharmony in the traditional urban fabric. In some cases, cultural heritage is placed under pressure from commercial interests, where short-term economic gains are prioritized over long-term protection. There is also a risk of an indirect impact on cultural heritage through the degradation of the natural environment. Pollution of the lake and the disruption of the ecosystem affect the overall cultural landscape, which is an essential part of the region’s value. According to expert assessments, this connection between natural and cultural heritage is one of the most endangered components,” adds Zdraveski.

He further notes that insufficient control and the selective enforcement of laws create a sense of impunity, which further encourages the degradation of protected values. According to him, in several parts of Ohrid one can observe serious urban chaos, with inappropriate additions, disrupted architectural lines, and deviations from the traditional appearance. “If these trends continue, there is a real risk that cultural heritage will lose its authenticity, integrity, and recognizability, which are the key criteria for its international status,” Zdraveski warns.

Regarding the remark about preserving the authenticity of old buildings, the Ohrid Museum states that the construction materials of traditional old-town architecture – made from natural and easily vulnerable materials – are, as physical matter, destined to deteriorate and are difficult and complex to maintain without sufficient skilled and trained craftsmen.

“Conservators, or guardians of heritage, are obliged to slow down this process as much as possible so that it remains as testimony for future generations. So far, conservation practice in our country has tended to follow the path of least resistance – meaning reconstructions are often carried out using modern materials and new structural elements, while preserving the external appearance. This mainly applies to secular architecture, whereas in sacred architecture, where more durable materials are used, authenticity in both technique and form is more successfully preserved,” the museum states.

Living city

"Ohrid is a beautiful place. The lake, cultural heritage, and nature come together as one, and it is precisely this richness that makes it very difficult to manage", says Ron Depik, a conservation architect.

“From a management perspective, this is a transboundary site that belongs to both Albania and North Macedonia, and from that point of view, management is even more complex. Management is key. But it is very, very difficult, because you have nature, culture, heritage, and two countries, Albania and North Macedonia,” says Depik.

Sasho Korunovski, a professor at the Faculty of Tourism in Ohrid, says that Ohrid is a living city and that there are ways to manage it. “It is normal that it is difficult to manage, many processes happen simultaneously. But even if it is difficult, that does not mean it is impossible to manage,” he says. According to Korunovski, the first and most important step is to respect the city’s development plans. “We need to start from a good starting point. We have various plans that need to begin to be implemented. We have recommendations that are still on paper, but they need to be applied in practice. In other words, we need to carry out activities in line with what has already been recommended.”

Korunovski warns that in recent years the city’s panorama has been significantly damaged. “There is a lot of uncontrolled construction in the city. The city’s panorama and certain areas have been disrupted. These are issues that UNESCO has already noted, but there have been no improvements. These elements still need to be addressed,” the professor says.

In Korunovski’s opinion, the system to control the construction is not functioning. Some people propose a construction moratorium, but a moratorium could create even bigger problems. The solution, according to the professor, is controlled construction, meaning building in harmony with the space. In its report published in January 2026, the state auditor found that there are 4,847 illegal buildings in Ohrid, including residential buildings and hotels. The agency also found that out of 456 demolition orders, not a single one had been implemented.

Yet Ohrid is a city with a strong tourism industry, and tourism itself creates certain dynamics that endanger heritage, according to experts.

“What is the standard for protection and how can development be controlled? Because tourism is growing, and tourism is a good thing since it brings economic development, but it is also a threat because it can expand and lead to excessive development driven by tourism needs. That is why I think the focus should be on quality tourism and on respecting nature and culture,” Depik says.

Professor Korunoski says that the space must continue to live as it does today, as it lived 100 years ago, and as it will live in 100 years: “We should transform and enrich it within the framework of UNESCO recommendations and inherited values. We should not stop construction, but guide it properly, just as in traffic we follow rules instead of banning cars. If we want to remain part of UNESCO, we must change our behaviour.

Intangible cultural heritage

Experts also argue that mass tourism does not always go hand in hand with the preservation of cultural and natural heritage. “Tourism creates significant pressure. According to international assessments, mass tourism without a defined carrying capacity leads to infrastructure overload and the degradation of natural and cultural values,” says the environmental activist Gjoko Zoroski.

Goran Patchev from the National Institution Museum–Ohrid says that tourist pressure or mass tourism brings economic benefits but also burdens and damages infrastructure and authenticity. He cites examples such as the insufficient maintenance of some buildings that are in poor condition due to limited funds or poor management, as well as institutional weaknesses, sometimes with delays in implementing protection measures.

“The more Ohrid appears attractive to tourists, the more pressure there is for new residents who strain infrastructure capacities,” Patchev says. “I think the problem is not entirely urbanization, because it is carried out within the framework of the General Urban Plan for Ohrid’s development, which is based on the Basic Urban Plan adopted even before Ohrid entered UNESCO. This means that development was already planned, and more than 45 years have passed since then. The problem is that in recent years there has been a drastic surge in new construction, not because of local population needs, but because of new weekend property owners and apartment renters.”

Patchev believes that in the Ohrid region the price of land should be valued more, and construction should be moderate but high-quality, while at the same time protecting the local population, which carries the spirit of the area – the intangible cultural heritage that has been passed down through generations. “This is a well-known problem in other European historic cities as well, not only here. The difference is that Ohrid is our only pearl, and we must take a more serious approach with the help of the entire state. The same laws, such as those on urban planning, the construction, or illegal buildings, cannot apply equally to Ohrid because it is specific and unique,” says Patchev.

How to preserve the UNESCO status?

In order for Ohrid to preserve its UNESCO status, Korunoski says that radical changes are needed. “We need to move from documents to fieldwork, from offices to the field. The question is whether we are ready to act. If we are not aware of the values we have, we destroy them. If we adapt construction to the space, it will be more valuable than poorly integrated buildings.” According to him, each problem must be addressed individually.

“There are no general solutions,” he adds. “Ohrid is still not fully prepared, neither politically nor practically, but if we show effort and willingness, we will not be removed from UNESCO. In the end, no one can protect Ohrid from ourselves. We are all responsible – from institutions to citizens. Everyone has their role in this mosaic of responsibility. Ohrid deserves to be on UNESCO and benefits from it, as do all who build here.”

Experts believe that more can always be done for Ohrid and the Ohrid region, but this requires certain legal amendments that are currently in the process of adoption. However, they also stress the need for a clear development strategy for the region and state subsidies for municipalities in the region as compensation for the strict protection regime. This is quite restrictive in terms of development, especially in the old town core of Ohrid.

North Macedonia and Albania had a deadline of February 1st 2026, set by UNESCO in July 2025, to fulfil the recommendations and implement the observations in practice. This was to be done in order to prevent the region from being placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Among the experts cited here, this is seen as another opportunity for both countries. UNESCO is expected to conduct a monitoring visit to the region this spring, to assess on-site what has been done so far.

Authorities in Skopje say that the report on the progress made together with Albania has been sent to UNESCO headquarters. “We made major conclusions in the UNESCO commission, formed a crisis headquarters, and were given seven months to intervene. We will see what the recommendations will be in the coming period. Since this is a long-standing problem, as a minister I inherited it, and we did what we could, and I would emphasize that we should expect everything,” said North Macedonia’s Minister of Culture, Zoran Ljutkov.

Ljutkov concludes that in the past year and a half, significant interventions and efforts have been made in the Ohrid region, but that the period was too short to make major decisions.

 

 Miki Trajkovski is a freelance journalist based in North Macedonia. He has contributed to domestic and international media outlets including the BBC, Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, Kanal 77 and others.