Struga – Exploring Cycle Paths and Nature
- Written by Portal Editor
Struga – Once again, the Rino campsite located about 6 kilometres outside Struga served as the starting point for our first "cycle path exploration," intended to provide initial impressions of the lakeshore as viewed from the land.
To our surprise, we spotted two people walking through the tall reeds parallel to the road, leading us to conclude that there must be a path there. And sure enough, there was. Although initially a bit bumpy and unpaved...
... it was nonetheless very pleasant to cycle through the tall reeds, away from the road.
While the path was sometimes narrow and overgrown, we could listen to the truly omnipresent birdsong a real paradise for birds that love densely vegetated shoreline areas.
Every now and then, however, the vegetation prompted a quick stop, as the variety of plants here was lush. Incidentally, Lake Ohrid is home to 146 endemic animal species that have evolved here in isolation over millions of years.
The rough track unexpectedly widened into a properly laid, gravel path, making the ride less bumpy and much easier.
Even here, however, the vegetation caused frequent interruptions to our cycling tour; at one point, we encountered a "field" of water lilies that had colonized a reed-free stretch of the shore.
Then there were clumps of beautifully blooming wildflowers in short, there was a constant stream of reasons to stop along the way.
Just as abruptly as the gravel path had begun, a proper, paved cycle path made of red-tinted concrete suddenly appeared beneath our wheels. Lo and behold: a dedicated cycle and walking path along the shores of Lake Ohrid, just before reaching Struga. Here, too, plants caused us to make frequent stops, .......
hindering our rapid progress. However, the actual purpose of our tour was exploration rather than racking up kilometres.
It is easy to imagine just how relaxing it is to cycle along this path.
Then, almost unexpectedly, the reeds gave way, and we found ourselves right at the lakeshore. With hardly any wind, the surface of the lake was almost perfectly smooth.
A short while later, we reached the outskirts of Struga. Several brightly painted fishing boats lay in the shallow water here.
The shoreline transitioned into the "harbour" of Struga a scene that could almost be described as picturesque. In reality, however, it was simply a larger collection of fishing boats. Beneath the bridge, Lake Ohrid drains into the Black Drin River.
Our frequent stops meant that quite a bit of time had passed, so we set off on the return journey though that, too, was interrupted repeatedly. The verdict: A cycle path away from the main road offers a safe and naturally scenic route into Struga.
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