The town of Ioannina lies on the shores of Lake Pamvotis, a large freshwater lake at the foot of the Mitsikeli mountain range.
Το ταξίδι
The journey
Ioannina is the capital of the Ioannina department
and is located in the Zagoria region, Epirus region.
The Ioannina regional unit is an extremely mountainous area with high mountains, amazing caves, wooded green slopes, turbulent rivers, beautiful valleys and gorges and a number of important lakes.
The town of Ioannina lies on the shores of Lake Pamvotis, a large freshwater lake at the foot of the Mitsikeli mountain range. The surface is 23 square kilometers, the depth reaches 13 meters and has a circumference of 33 km. For those who enjoy walking, a walk around the lake is a wonderful experience.
Ioannina – Athene: 445 km
Ioannina – Thessaloniki: 350 km
Ioannina – Igoumenitsa: 80 km
Ioannina has the charm of an old city,
but it is also a modern and lively city because one of the Greek Universities is here.
Ioannina is beautifully situated in beautiful nature. At the lake there are cozy terraces with taverns, cafes and bars.
Ioannina and its surroundings are known for the many silversmiths and shops with silver jewelery and plates.
From the Litharitsa Park there is a great view of the lake. Various festivities are organized in the city during the summer months.
The castle of Ioannina
was built 528 AD, it is the oldest Byzantine castle of Greece. The castle consists of four parts: the courtyard, Acropolis with Aslan mosque, Acropolis with Ich Kale and the old city.
The area has a circumference of 2000 meters and a width of 10 meters.
Inside of the castle are also three of the most important museums of Ioannina.
Ali Pasha museum
The history of Ioannina is closely linked to the Turks. In some neighborhoods of Ioannina one thinks in Turkey, especially when visiting local markets and the island of Nisi in the middle of the lake, the island of Ali Passcha, with its monasteries and the story of “Kyra Frosini”. Kyra Frosini was a woman who was killed because she did not want to go to bed with Ali Pasha. Many buildings from that time are well preserved and can be visited today.
The ferry boats run every half an hour and the trip takes 10 minutes.
Silversmithing Museum
is located in the castle of Ioannina, in the western bastion of the northeastern Acropolis. The exhibition spaces consist of two floors.
The first floor contains the most important part of the exhibition, which refers to the history and technology of silversmithing in Epirus.
On the second floor, the collection of Epirote silver and goldsmith works is presented, dating from the 18th to the 20th century.
Admission: € 4
Vrellis Greek History Museum
In Bizani, 14 km south of Ioannina, is the museum of Pavlos Vrellis, where the history of Greece revives in the form of wax images.
Open from 10 am to 4 pm
Admission: € 6
Look for more info at the website.
Zagoria is a beautiful mountainous area,
located about 30 kilometers north of the city of Ioannina and consists of 46 villages of which 44 are inhabited.
The houses are built in a typical Zagori style, with stones.
The Vikos gorge in Zagoria is very well known, as is the dragon lake.
Zagoria is a popular hiking area.
Four kilometers north of Ioannina lies Perama; here is the largest and oldest cave system in Greece with impressive stalactites and stalagmites.
In the green environment, among other things, grapes are grown and the region is known for the quality of the Zagoria spring water.