How Life Led Me to Discover Myself as a Tourist Guide in Ohrid

Spring isn’t truly spring without a visit to Ohrid. March signals the start of the new season, as the sun draws more and more tourists to the city. Today, we spoke with Iva Nikoloska, who works in the Ohrid Municipality supporting the mayor and is a licensed tourist guide for Ohrid and the surrounding region.

Iva lives and creates in Ohrid. She is a passionate lover of her hometown and enjoys good "Mesheishko wine" — wine from the region — every day. What motivated her to become a tourist guide was the desire to share her experiences and love for Ohrid with all the visitors who come to see it.

She says that when you work with love and dedication, the results are more than evident. Nikoloska shared with us the story of her first tour, which she led just a few days after receiving her guide license, and the group was a married couple from Italy. What she will always remember are the Italians’ admiration and amazement at the Renaissance paintings of Michael and Euthychios Astrapas in the magnificent Church of the Holy Mother of God.

We asked her how the other groups went. She replied that the biggest challenge was a mixed group of theologians from England, Poland, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Czech Republic. Their tours focused on the rich diversity of religious sites and the high level of spiritual energy that people openly admitted to feeling.

“Macedonia is like a treasure chest filled with golden jewelry found at the bottom of the sea,” says Iva. It is a hidden beauty that more and more people discover, which draws them back for a second visit.

For Nikoloska, the most important thing is that tourists in Ohrid get a complete sensory experience of the city and a true gastronomic journey. The difference that a guided tour makes is huge—it adds an entirely new dimension. She vividly presents historical facts, love tragedies, happy endings, all complemented by plenty of food.

She also emphasizes the importance of highlighting the craftsmanship behind filigree jewelry, the Ohrid pearl, paper production, and printing with the Gutenberg press of old church manuscripts and icons, as well as jewelry made with Macedonian rubies, and more.

She is happy to have found herself in this profession and feels the greatest joy after every successfully completed tour. She encourages local tourists to hire licensed guides because they will be pleasantly surprised and much richer in experience.

At the end of our conversation, Iva asks us: Have you ever heard of Momata near Prilep?