{"id":935623,"date":"2026-05-03T19:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/935623\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T19:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:59:24","slug":"europes-most-beautiful-place-in-2026-with-31-flights-not-italy-or-spain-europe-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/935623\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s \u2018most beautiful\u2019 place in 2026 with \u00a331 flights – not Italy or Spain | Europe | Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

For travellers dreaming of the romance of Lake Como<\/a> without the high prices, there is a far cheaper alternative making waves in 2026. That destination is Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia, where flights from the UK can be found from just \u00a331 in June, according to Skyscanner data. For Britons seeking dramatic scenery, historic charm and warm-weather escapes on a budget, it may be one of Europe’s best-value breaks – and it has been named Europe’s most beautiful place by Time Out travel writers.<\/a><\/p>\n

Unlike the glamorous but costly resorts around Lake Como<\/a>, Lake Ohrid offers mountain-backed waters, old-world beauty and lakeside living at a fraction of the price. The ancient lake straddles North Macedonia and Albania<\/a>, though it is the Macedonian side that has earned international praise. At more than a million years old, Lake Ohrid is also older than the Italian Lakes, and Ohrid town is acknowledged as one of the oldest human settlements in Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The old town is packed with cobbled streets, medieval churches<\/a> and sweeping lake views. It offers an 11-th century old fortress, city gates built 4th century BC, a 5,000-seat Hellenistic amphitheatre, or a 6th century church. The standout landmark is the 13th-century Church of St. John at Kaneo, perched above the water in one of Europe’s most photographed settings. It has been recommended to visit at dawn, when the light and stillness make the view even more spectacular. The area is part of UNESCO<\/a>, and, if you are coming from Skopje, you can book a full-day guided tour for around \u00a350 per person, according to Tripadvisor.<\/p>\n

One happy visitor commented on Tripadvisor: “We visited the North Macedonia side. It was nice to see so many things to see with such beautiful scenery. After walking around the church, we also had a lake cruise. The weather was nice and it was a very beautiful lake.”<\/p>\n

Another commented: “This beautiful lake<\/a> represents the wonderful landscape from North Macedonia. Even it was a long drive from Skopje but this piece of paradise has to be visited. A true UNESCO World Heritage Site.”<\/p>\n

Part of the appeal is also that this beauty remains surprisingly affordable. While a holiday in Lake Como can easily cost thousands, accommodation around Ohrid remains budget-friendly. A sea-view rental from an Airbnb Superhost was recently available for just \u00a3217 for a couple for a full week. Even some of the area’s more beautiful stays – with uninterrupted views over crystal-blue water – were only around \u00a3550 for two guests for seven nights.<\/p>\n

In comparison, similar Airbnb<\/a> rentals around Lake Como can average \u00a3900 to \u00a31,000 for a week. Eating out is also relatively inexpensive, with waterfront restaurants serving fresh fish, local wines and Balkan specialities at prices well below many Mediterranean hotspots. According to multiple Facebook users, prices in restaurants are “very reasonable”, with one family of four spending just \u00a310 per person on dinner. Boat trips, beaches and historic attractions are similarly affordable, making it easy to enjoy a scenic break without overspending.<\/p>\n

With lower costs, fewer crowds and scenery often compared to Italy’s best-known lake destinations, Lake Ohrid is emerging as a compelling alternative to better-known hotspots. For curious British travellers willing to look beyond Italy or Spain, Europe’s newly crowned most beautiful place may also be one of its best bargains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For travellers dreaming of the romance of Lake Como without the high prices, there is a far cheaper…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":935624,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[28002,2000,299,260770,10545,104,21291,102801,20894],"class_list":{"0":"post-935623","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-budget-travel","9":"tag-eu","10":"tag-europe","11":"tag-lake-ohrid","12":"tag-north-macedonia","13":"tag-spain","14":"tag-travel-deals","15":"tag-unesco-world-heritage-site","16":"tag-unesco-world-heritage-sites"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116512421678787214","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=935623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/935624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=935623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=935623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=935623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}