Museum on Water – Bay of Bones

Lake Ohrid


In prehistoric times Lake Ohrid was home to a settlement of pile dwellers who lived literally on top of the water, on a platform supported by up to 10,000 wooden piles anchored to the lake bed. The remains of the settlement were discovered at this spot and were gradually excavated by an underwater team between 1997 and 2005; the museum is an elaborate reconstruction of the settlement as archaeologists think it would have looked between 1200 and 600 BC.

The slightly theatrical name – Bay of Bones – is a nod to the many animal remains and fragmented vessels that have been found here. On shore, there's a small, interesting exhibition of some of the relics, including a fascinating wall-sized photograph of the settlement foundations as they look now under the water. Better still, for divers it's actually possible to visit the underwater excavations in the flesh with Diving Center Amfora.

To the north of the site, on the cliff head, there's also a reconstruction of a Roman fort that can be visited as part of your museum ticket.

The Bay of Bones is 16km south of Ohrid town; buses (€1) will stop here en route to Sveti Naum, or a taxi should cost about €16 for a trip combining a stop here with Sveti Naum.


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