Which one to choose in North Macedonia
Two ancient sites in North Macedonia. Stobi has 6 tickets and tours to book; Ancient Theatre of Ohrid has no online ticket listed. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Gradsko, North Macedonia
Stobi is the largest ancient city in North Macedonia, set where the Crna River meets the Vardar, about an hour south of Skopje. Its ruins span Paeonian, Roman and early Christian times, with a theatre, palaces, a synagogue and basilicas floored with fine mosaics. It sits beside the motorway and next to the vineyards of the Tikves wine region.
Ohrid, North Macedonia
The Ancient Theatre of Ohrid is a Hellenistic theatre of around 200 BC set in a hollow between two hills of the old town, above the lake. It is the only theatre of Greek type in North Macedonia, was buried for centuries and rediscovered in the 1980s, and every summer it hosts concerts and plays of the Ohrid Summer Festival.
| Stobi | Ancient Theatre of Ohrid | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ancient City | Theatre & Amphitheatre |
| Civilisation | Roman | Greek |
| Founded | — | 200 BC |
| Entry | Small fee in denars at the visitor centre | Free |
| Hours | Daytime, roughly 9 am to early evening in summer and shorter in winter; check the official site | Open-access in daylight outside performances; closed to casual visitors during festival events |
| Time needed | 1.5 to 2 hours | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Booking | Pay at the gate; no need to book | No booking for a visit; buy festival tickets in advance for July and August |
| UNESCO | — | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | 6 | none listed |
| Official website | yes | — |