Struga

For other places with the same name, see Struga (disambiguation).

Struga Струга
Coat of arms
Struga Location within Macedonia
Coordinates: 41°10′N 20°40′E
Country	Macedonia
Municipality	Struga municipality
Population (2002)
• Total	16,559
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	6330
Area code(s)	+389 46
Car plates	OH
Website	http://www.struga.gov.mk/

Struga (Macedonian: Струга [ˈstruɡa] ( listen)) is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of the Republic of Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The town of Struga is the seat of Struga Municipality.

Etymology

The origins for the name Struga are from Old Slavonic. There are two theories regarding the name, both of which are espoused by the local inhabitants of the Struga region.

The first theory is that the name of the town originated from the geographic location of the town. Located at the foot of an open valley and subject to a windy climate, it was suggested that the name originates from the Old Slavonic term: струже ветер (it blows wind). The second theory says that the name of the city origins from the old Slavic word straga, meaning a cross. The old name of the city is Ενχαλών Enchalon, the ancient Greek word for eel, a kind of fish that lives in the Lake Ohrid.

Geography

Struga is located in an open valley on Lake Ohrid. The Black Drin river starts at the lake and divides the city.

Demographics

As of the 2002 census, the city of Struga has 16,559 inhabitants and the ethnic composition was the following:

• Macedonians, 8,901 (53.8%)
• Albanians, 5,293 (32.0%)
• Turks, 907 (5.5%)
• Vlachs, 550 (3.3%)
• others, 908 (5.5%)

Culture

Struga Poetry Evenings international festival logo.

Struga is also a place of important cultural significance in the Republic of Macedonia, as it is the birthplace of the poets Konstantin and Dimitar Miladinov. The main event of the cultural life in Struga is the world's largest poetry gathering, Struga Poetry Evenings, whose laureates have included several Nobel Prize for Literature winners such as Joseph Brodsky, Eugenio Montale, Pablo Neruda, Seamus Heaney, Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca and many others since 1966.

Frescoes from the rock church in the monastery of Kalishta.

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, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. It is believed that it dates from the 16th century, with frescoes from the 14th and the 15th centuries. Another rock church is present in the neighbouring village of Radožda with frescoes from the 13th and 14th centuries. The Church Sveta Bogorodica (St. Mary) in the village of Vraništa, is believed to be the one where Tsar Samuel was crowned. The church has many doors and far fewer windows and often the people call it "the king's church" especially at nighttime when it's cold.

The church of St. George is also located in the town; built on top of Samuel's church, it has many icons from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Near the village of Radolishta, a basilica from the 4th century has been discovered, with a mosaic. Struga's old architecture, dating from the 18th and 19th century is also a cultural highlight.

Tourism

The Black Drin river flowing through the city.

Much of the town's meager income is through internal tourism. Struga's location on Lake Ohrid makes it a slightly quieter and more peaceful experience than the more bustling Ohrid. When visiting this quiet town of the Republic of Macedonia, there are a few other places that show the beauty and culture, like the clay chamberpots at the house of the Miladinov Brothers, the old Struga bazaar, the century old churches and mosques. Before the evenings you can enjoy on 3 kinds of beaches called Male beach(maska plaza), Female beach(zenska) and the most beautiful called Galeb. Out of the town there is another tourist place near the lake called Purl(Biser). At night you can walk in the center or go at the most popular discos like Glamour, Alibi, Empire, Oaza, Stefano and others. There's also bars and pubs such as Irish Pub "The Harp", Tullamore Dew, Art Cafe, Plivalishte, Sweet Cafe, Cinema and many others

See also

• Struga Poetry Evenings
• List of people from Struga

External links

• Struga Municipality
• Points of interest in Struga
• Struga travel guide from Wikitravel
• Struga Tourism Portal