A unique eko-system, rich with endemic and relict plant and animal species characterizes the Ohrid lake. The uniqueness of this lake is a result of a geographical isolation and a very old age, which is typical for only a few other lakes in the world, like the Baiykal Lake in Siberia, the Lake Tanganyika in Africa, etc. With its unique flora and fauna Lake Ohrid is one of the greatest biological reservations in Europe and is a subject of interest of many explorers.

      The lake lies at 695 m above sea level and covers an area of 348 km². Its length is 31 km and its width is 14 km. The biggest depth is 286 m. The lake is supplied with water from a number of springs. The most important ones are those near the monastery of St. Naum, the well known Biljanini Izvori (Biljana Springs). The water flows out of the Lake through the river Crn Drim.

      The coast of Lake Ohrid has been settled since the prehistoric times. The oldest archeological settlements date back to the period of Neolithic, around 6000 BC. Only on the Macedonian side of the basin more than 170 archeological sites has been discovered.

      Due to such distinctive features, the Ohrid Lake and the town of Ohrid were declared in 1980 a World Cultural Heritage and as such were placed under protection of UNESCO.