Kastoria Travel Guide

 elsadran Says:  The fur industry has been the most profitable occupation for the people of Kastoria. It has developed since the Byzantine period when many young men came to learn the skill and their trade had spread to faraway places, being the major factor of the flourishing economy of the... 

 elsadran Says:  Old mansions have been restored and stand proudly in their beautiful gardens. Most of them were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are called "arhontika" and they are found mostly on the promontory along the lakeside road, in Apozari. They usually have two storeys... 

 elsadran Says:  The lake, with its lakeside forest, has been declared “Monument of Natural Beauty” and is protected by the programme “Nature 2000”. It preserves more than 200 species of birds, some in danger. It also has interesting flora like the hydrophilic trees, and of course a lot of... 

 JLBG Says:  A very pleasant park stands along lake Orestida. It has well shaded areas and moreover, you can get a fresh beer at one of the tables showing on the left of the photo!If you visit in summer, it will give a pleasant rest after wandering in the streets of the old city for a... 

 JLBG Says:  The entrance into this house has a a very simple double wooden door. Each door has a triple diamond shape carving.The engraving on top (second photo) says that it was built in 1863. After the date, there is the letter “phi” and a 5. Does that means 5th of February 1863? May... 

 JLBG Says:  In the narrowest passages, the corbelled part of the house nearly touches the front of the house on the other side! It is convenient when it is raining or snowing not to get wet! In some cases, like on the photo, the logs that sustain the corbel are masoned and not... 

 JLBG Says:  As the sharpness of the photos are greatly reduced for VT, you might have not noticed on the first photo of the previous tip that there was a stork standing on its nest, right in the center of Kastoria. This is not really a surprise as lake Orestida and nearby area covered... 

 JLBG Says:  n several Arab countries like Morocco, some of the windows are added by a wooden “moucharabieh”, an oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework that allows to se outside without being seen. In Kastoria, some structure might at first sight considered as moucharabieh... 

 JLBG Says:  In the narrow passages of the old city, many houses have a typical Balkanic aspect with the second level corbelled and supported by long curved logs as can be seen on the first photo.The second photo shows that the tiled roofs that project largely over the passage.The third... 

 JLBG Says:  This is another of the 84 small Byzantines churches in Kastoria. On its southern side, it has a gallery with a twin double arch. Though this gives it a distinct style, I have not been able to find the name of this little jewel. Anybody knows ? 

 JLBG Says:  I feel this church might be the church of Hagios Nikolaos Kasnitzis. It is a small single-aisled church with 12th century wall-paintings. Unfortunately, as most of the 84 small Byzantine and post Byzantine churches in Kastoria it was locked and we could not visit the inside.... 

 JLBG Says:  The church of the Taxiarchis (Archangel) of the Metropolis stands amid modern buildings, near the cathedral. It was built in the 10th century as a small triple-aisled basilica with a narthex.It has wall paintings from 1360 on two sides. They are not in very good condition... 

 JLBG Says:  Since very long ago (may be for a thousand years!), Kastoria has been involved worldwide in the fur manufacture and trade. The guild of furriers of Kastoria was famous for ruling the trade and working for the fame of Kastoria’s furs. It was first awarded its power by... 

 mardaska Says:  The restaurant is housed in a traditional mansion built in 1860. It is one of the most beautiful and best preserved houses in town. The menu has many local traditional dishes. I tried the "sarmades" (stuffed pickled cabbage) and the "makalo" meatballs. Both great!! 

 mardaska Says:  Kastorians have maintained many of their local cultural traditions. One may see these elements alive during various events, organized by local organizations and associations. One of these events is the Local Carnival named "Kastoriana Ragoutsaria".Ragoutsaria are known by...