Greece is a sin to complain about the number of attractions, but there are areas in it that do not quite fit into the hiking trails trodden by millions of feet. There is an amazing place in this country where even winter is not Greek, but with real frost and snow. And here, on a peninsula washed by a lake on three sides, the city of Kastoria is located. Greece in the Middle Ages became famous as a country producing fur products.
So it remains to this day. In the city, where only 17,000 inhabitants live, there are numerous small workshops and large factories for the production of fur coats. The largest fur center in Europe, EDIKA, is located.
History of the city
There is a beautiful legend that around 2000 BC. e. the city was founded by the mythical demigod Kekrop, having the body of a man standing on two snakes instead of legs. At his command, a wall was erected around Kastoria, which received his name and protects the peninsula from attack.
According to another version, Kastoria (Greece) was founded in 840 BC. e. and it got its name thanks to beavers living in huge numbers on the lake (“castoras” in Greek). Everyone is free to choose what to believe, but the wall did exist - on its ruins in 525 a tower with a fortress wall was erected by order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian the 1st.
At that time (3-4th centuries AD), the city was a bastion of Byzantium on its western outskirts. Since that time, many ancient monuments have been preserved, there are objects belonging to the Neolithic and Roman era. Thanks to the Byzantine culture, 70 temples were built and preserved to this day in Kastoria, the oldest of which dates back to the 9th century.
Travelers who want to know in more detail what ancient Kastoria (Greece) was like are expected by the ethnographic and Byzantine museums. The latter, for example, contains one of the largest collections of Byzantine icons of the 12-14th centuries.
This place is not suitable for those who like to spend their holidays on the beaches, as they simply are not here, and it is not customary to swim in the local lake, although it is considered a good form to fish and feed waterfowl here.
Dragon Cave
Just 15 meters from Lake Orestiada is the entrance to the cave, reminiscent of the mouth of a dragon. Maybe that's why she is called the Dragon, although there is a legend that he once lived here and guarded the entrance to a gold mine with an infinite supply of gold. Whether it is true or not, it is unknown, but there is no gold under the arches of the cave, but there are stalactites and stalagmites of the most bizarre form of extraordinary beauty.
There are a dozen halls and 7 lakes with fresh water, and the cave itself goes down 600 m, of which only 300 meters are open for tourists. Cavers do not let people go further for their safety. You can see the beauty hidden from people's eyes from the floating bridge, which offers stunning views of the lakes and galleries of the cave. Here is such an attraction stores the city of Kastoria (Greece). The reviews of those who have been under the vaults of the cave suggest that ventilation and lighting of its vaults allow you to stay there for a long time without harm to health.
Church of Panagia Mavriotissa
Built in honor of the victory of the Byzantine emperor Alexei 1st Comnenus over the Normans in 1082, this church has been preserved and is still operating today. Today it is located in the city center at the intersection of tourist routes, so it will be difficult not to notice it.
It was decorated in the 11th century with rich frescoes on the outside, now only small fragments remain of them. Something destroyed time, and something Turks who did not stand on ceremony with Christian relics during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. The interior decoration is better preserved.
Once a monastery grew around the church, but today only one bell tower of the 13th century and a thousand-year-old plane tree have survived, a witness to many events in the city. To make it convenient to get to all the sights, you can stay at the Esperos Palace hotel (Greece, Kastoria). It is located just 3 minutes from the center and offers its guests not only comfortable rooms, but also relaxation in a spa with a swimming pool.
Orestiada Lake
Located at an altitude of 600 m above sea level, this picturesque lake is the "home" for numerous species of birds, mammals, amphibians and waterfowl. The number of flora and underwater inhabitants is not inferior to them, among which are catfish, carps, perches, tench and roach. The locals are very successful in fishing, which tourists often join in, organizing real competitions.
According to legend, the lake bears the name of Orestes - one of the heroes of ancient myths beloved by the Greeks, but the reservoir itself is millions of years older than any of them. Today you can go water-skiing or rent a boat, feed cormorants, pelicans, wild ducks and swans. This is a favorite vacation spot for residents of Kastoria (Greece).
Limneos Ikizmos
How many more secrets does the earth hold in itself? Sometimes they open to people completely unexpectedly, as was the case with the ancient village of Limneos Ikizmos. In the 30s of the last century, the waters of Lake Orestiada moved away and exposed unknown structures.
If Greece is called ancient, then what about the find, which was declared the oldest settlement in Europe? As it turned out, it was on an artificially created island on stilts and has preserved to this day unique household items from the Neolithic era, including a tablet with unknown letters.
An exact copy of it was built at the place of settlement, which has become an open-air museum, and in the huts you can see the very utensils, tools and tools.
Fur coats of Kastoria
Having visited these places, one can not help but pay attention to the main source of income of the city - fur products, known around the world no less than its attractions.
Many local hotels, for example Esperos Palace 4 * (Greece, Kastoria), offer free accommodation with the purchase of a fur coat. This offer is readily used by tourists from the CIS countries, combining leisure and shopping. Every year in May there is a grandiose exhibition of leather and fur products, in which more than 1,200 factories present their products.
Since prices from the manufacturer are at this exhibition, in May the most popular tourist route is Kastoria (Greece). Rhodes, the island's favorite holiday island, located 1000 km from this city, becomes empty when the sale of fur coats and leather jackets begins. Such is the ancient and modern Kastoria.