Among the more than 1,000 world heritage sites designated by UNESCO, only 30-plus are recognized in both cultural and natural categories. One of them is Ohrid in North Macedonia.

In Slavic languages, Ohrid means being located on top of a hill. Once an administrative center of the Eastern Roman Empire, the town used to be home to 365 churches and enjoyed the nickname of Jerusalem in the Balkans.

Its time-honored architecture continues to draw tourists who admire the historical relics strewn around the enchanting landscape.

Located in the southwest of North Macedonia, Ohrid has a population of about 50,000. Recent years have seen an impressive boom in local tourism, making the city second only in prestige to the national capital.

The annual local poetry festival held each August enjoys global renown. And the yearly summer music festival is hosted at a theater built during the rule of the Roman Empire over 2,000 years ago.

Local life still bears witness to the exchanges with lands farther east. Some paper-making shops are still using techniques imported from China via the ancient Silk Road in the early middle ages.

Together with the nearby lake of the same name, the town of Ohrid was included on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979. Its thriving tourism is expected to lead to improved preservation of its ancient charms.