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Struga is situated on the
northern part of the Lake Ohrid, on the both banks of river Crni Drim. The
city is located on 171 km from the capital
Skopje and from the nearby city
Ohrid, is just 15 away, while from
Debar is 52 away.
It
is believed that in the ancient times, there was a little town here called Etelion. The city was founded during the middle ages.
 The city is the capital of poetry and one of the cradles of the Macedonian spiritual revival in the 19th century, for it is the
birthplace of the outstanding poets and educators, the brothers
Dimitar
and
Konstantin
Miladinov. Here, one is charmed by the source of
the river Crni Drim, which flows into Lake Ohrid and runs across it, only
to emerge again with its clear and greenish water, and beautify the
already delightful town of Struga. This town is a famous tourist resort,
and it is an eternal inspiration for poets from all over the world. Since
1962, each year at the second half of August, the Struga Poetry Evenings
held in honor of brothers Miladinovci, have gathered poets from all the
continents. The Struga Poetry Festival is one of the oldest, largest, and
most renowned of its kind in the world. At the spectacular poetic event
entitled "Bridges", poets read their works from the bridge under
which the River Crni Drim flows out of Lake Ohrid, before an audience of
some ten thousand people. Some of the greatest poets of the world are
recipients of the Golden Wreath, the highest accolade of the festival.
 There are several cultural monuments in Struga and in its vicinity such as
the Monastery of Kališta, a few kilometers away from the town center,
laying on the very shores of Lake Ohrid. It is believed that it dates from
the 15th century, with frescos from the 15th and the
16th centuries. The Church Sveta Bogorodica (Holy Virgin) in the
village of Vraništa, is believed to be the one where Tzar Samoil was
crowned. The church has many doors and the people call it also "the
kings church". Another church St. George in the town, build on the
foundations of the Samoil's church, has many icons from the 14th,
15th, and 16th century. Near the village of Radolišta,
a basilica from the 4th century has been discovered, with an
extraordinary beautiful mosaic. In the cultural-historical monuments of
Struga, can also be included its old architecture from the 18th
and 19th century. The historical town of
Ohrid,
only 15 kilometers from Struga, is also situated on the shores of
beautiful
Lake
Ohrid.
"Panoramic view of Struga: the river Crni Drim flows from the Ohrid
Lake"
 Also near Struga
is located the village of Radožda, where is a part of the ancient Roman
main road Via Egnatia. It is located 300 meters western of the village on
mountain Jablanica, near the border crossing point Kjafasan. The road is
made of well decorated blocks with dimensions 2.5x3 meters. The road is
well kept and has a trace of 100 meters with 5 stops (31-4-19-19-21) and
then gets lost in the vegetation. Located near Vevčani in the mountainous
village of Oktisi is an ancient Christian basilica from the end of 5th or
the beginning of 6th century. The mosaic floor of the church is richly
decorated with representations of deer, horses, flowers, trees, and
geometrical ornamentation. The village of Gorna Belica (1,600 meters above
the sea level) can be reached by driving, biking or walking from Struga,
or by hiking from Vevčani. Nowadays, only two elderly ladies live all year
round in the village, although other residents visit on weekends and
holidays. The church of St. Petka is undergoing restoration, but the two
ladies are happy to tell its story and that of the saint. The owners of
some of the holiday houses offer accommodation in their homes, and there
is a modern hotel in the centre of the village. The legends says that St.
Clement used to rest here in the past.
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