This charming furrier city, whose beauty will most certainly seduce you, is built amphitheatrically on a narrow peninsula, mirrored in Orestiada Lake and nestled in between Grammo and Vitsi Mountains.

Tour the lake

The best way to explore the city is taking a little tour around the lake starting from the southernmost side up to the northernmost. Take a stroll on the narrow pathway along the lake’s coast; you will be overwhelmed by its idyllic beauty and tranquility. The promenade shaded by beech and plane trees as well as the neighbouring forests exude a mystical atmosphere and make an excellent shelter for all kinds of bird species. Orestiada Lake is home to a 200 different species, among them, some rare and some endangered. Local fishermen find themselves in competition with waterfowls for the lake’s fish. During your walk don’t forget to make a stop by the Dragon’s Cave, where you’ll get to see seven underground lakes and rooms with astonishing stalactites.

If you want to admire the city from above, follow the lush and green path towards Profitis Ilias Church and continue even higher up to Agios Athanasios viewpoint.

Tour the neighbourhoods

At a short distance from the lake you’ll encounter the old neighbourhood Doltso, a picturesque corner of the town where buildings date back to the 17th and 18th century, when the city’s economy blossomed due to the fur treatment and trade. Lots of buildings have been converted into museums, such as Neratzi Aivazi mansion that houses the Folk Art Museum, Emmanouil mansion lodges the Costume Museum etc. Second oldest neighbourhood with an aristocratic allure is Apozari; you will absolutely fall in love with the byzantine churches and the beautiful mansions, which are typical examples of Macedonian architecture.

Discover Byzantine Treasures

In Kastoria you’ll get to visit more than 60 Byzantine and post-Byzantine Churches, dating back from the 9th to the 19th century. Almost all of them are of the Basilica type, apart from Panagia Koumpelidiki which got its name from its characteristic dome (koumpe). The Monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa (1802), located by the lake, has really impressive murals, depicting Byzantine Emperors. Pass by the oldest monuments of the city, Taxiarchon and Agion Anargyron churches located in Doltso and Agiou Stefanou, Agiou Panteleimona and Esodion Theotokou in Apozari.

Make a stop by the Byzantine Art Museum (in Dexameni square), where artifacts from the Byzantine period are showcased; over 700 well preserved byzantine sculptures, murals, paintings and icons from temples from around the city.

Don’t miss out on

– Enjoying the beauty of the lake and the panoramic view of the city on board of a tourist boat that goes around the peninsula.
– Visiting the largest freshwater aquarium of the Balkans, where common lake and river fish species and some at risk of extinction find shelter.
– Admiring the famous fur art of the furriery workshops and showrooms of Kastoria’s Fur Center (EDIKA).

It’s also worth visiting:

– Dispilio (7 km SE of Kastoria). At the site Nisi, an artificial island in Lake Orestiada, a Middle Neolithic lake settlement with wooden structures has been excavated, dating back to 5600 to 5000 BCE. Near the site an impressive park has been erected, recreating the lake dwellers’ settlement and providing information about the life of its Neolothic inhabitants.
– The traditional village Nestorio (28 km SW), where each summer on the banks of the Aliakmonas river the well-known River Party takes place with the participation of many art celebrities.
– The village Nostimo (17 km SW), famous for its 20 million age old petrified forest.
– The Koresteia villages on the south of the district. Though most of these villages are ruined and have been abandoned, they stand out for their unique atmosphere and their special mud-brick house constructions, called ‘houses of mud.’
– The Vitsi ski center, near the picturesque village Polykeraso (22 km NE) for skiing and snowboarding.

How to get there

Kastoria is located 575 km from Athens (through Kozani) and 219 km from Thessaloniki. One can also go to Kastoria by air via Argos Orestiko (10 km from Kastoria).

Source: visitgreece.gr