Pogradec - Lake Ohrid with its popular beaches

The shores of Lake Ohrid have been inhabited since the Neolithic period (6000 BC). The first historical settlers were the Illyrian Encheleans (8th and 7th centuries BC), who left many traces around Pogradec. So on the hill above the city, which they built in the 5th century BC. It was first fortified in the 6th century BC and existed until the Slavs invaded in the 6th century. Several Illyrian royal tombs were found near the village of Selca e Poshtme, dating between the 4th and 1st centuries BC. Date. They belonged to the ancient city of Pelion, which was destroyed by the Slavs in 547/548 AD.

During the 18th century, the town of Pogradec became an administrative center of the region under Ottoman rule. Because of the many wars - including the two Balkan Wars, the First World War and the Second World War - the city's old buildings were largely destroyed. Nevertheless, some of the region's characteristic buildings were able to survive and were declared cultural monuments.

The name Pogradec is of Slavic origin and is formed from the two words pod (under) and gradec (small town) and thus refers to the location of the new town, which lies below the “small (old / Illyrian) town”.