Greek city of Kastoria. Greece, Kastoria Where is Kastoria located in Greece
With the exception of the monasteries of Saint Athos, Kastoria is the only city in Greece that has maintained an unbroken Byzantine tradition to this day. This is evidenced by 72 orthodox churches, one of which is the Church of St. Stephen.
Saint Stephen (Greek) - the first Christian martyr, brought to the court of the Sanhedrin and stoned for Christian preaching in Jerusalem around 33-36. He is revered all over the world - there are churches dedicated to this saint in Jerusalem, Rome, Nessebar, etc. One of the most ancient temples on this list is the Church of St. Stephen in Kastoria.
The exact date of its construction is unknown, but it is obvious that it was built in the Byzantine or post-Byzantine period, most likely in the 14th century. The temple is a basilica, the architecture of which is archaic and clearly demonstrates the antiquity of the church.
The Church of St. Stephen is interesting not only from the outside - inside it is decorated with wonderful wall frescoes and a unique episcopal throne, unique ceramic tiles and other decorative elements.
Despite the fact that there are several dozen active churches in Kastoria, it was in the Church of St. Stephen that the divine liturgy took place as part of the program of the medieval Byzantine festival “Alexiad” in September 2012.
Coordinates: 40.51975300,21.27345700
Lake Orestiada
Orestiada is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Balkans. The lake is distinguished by a wide variety of flora and fauna, is a natural monument and is very popular among tourists and the Greeks themselves.
The lake is located at an altitude of 630 meters above sea level, surrounded by green thickets and is home to many species of fish, birds and mammals. Here you can find wild ducks, thrushes, starlings, black grouse, ibises, cormorants, as well as gulls, swans and pelicans. In addition, the lake is home to carp, perch, catfish, turtles and salamanders. The forests surrounding the lake are home to bears, foxes, wolves, wild boars and deer.
The lake is a great place to relax - swimming, fishing, sailing, water skiing and boat rides are available here, and in winter part of the lake turns into a huge ice skating rink.
Coordinates: 40.51666600,21.30000000
What sights of Kastoria did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.
Kastanya Gorge
The appearance of the village of Kastania dates back to the Byzantine period, which is clearly confirmed by the numerous Byzantine churches located in the surrounding area. This picturesque mountain village is located at the very beginning of a large gorge leading down to a beautiful beach. Travelers are treated to wonderful landscapes - a panorama of the gorge and mountains surrounded by agricultural land. This route has also become especially popular thanks to the nearby cave, access to which is now open to travelers.
Coordinates: 40.45844200,22.45433800
The cave of the lakes Spileo-Lminon is located in a place called Kastria, fifteen kilometers from Kalavryta. It is attractive for its lakes and stalactites.
Spileo-Limnon consists of fifteen underground reservoirs, which are located on different levels and are separated by partitions created by nature. In hot and dry weather, the water level reaches only the edges of the lakes, but in the rainy season and spring, the water overflows the lakes and overflows from one to another. Unusual waterfalls amaze with their beauty; you can also see stalactites and stalagmites - the cave is famous for them.
There is a walking path along the perimeter of the lakes, which will allow you to walk around and view the lakes.
Located near Kastria beautiful place called Platinero, where you can taste delicious trout.
Coordinates: 37.94658300,22.13422900
Alvazi House-Museum of Folk Life
In the Greek city of Kastoria there is a museum of folk life, which is housed in an ancient building of the 17th century, known as the Alwazi House.
Until 1972, the house was residential, and then it was converted into a museum with objects of folk life, costumes from different times, tools, kitchen, wine cellar local Greeks. Also in the museum you can see the tools that are used in the fur craft, because the fur trade in those days brought great income to the Greeks, which, in turn, made it possible to build beautiful mansions.
The Alwazi Mansion is the only mansion that can be viewed from the inside. Next to it there are many more very beautiful mansions, the upper floors of which are residential, and the lower floors are used for domestic needs.
Coordinates: 40.51924300,21.26815300
Dragon Cave
According to legend, in ancient times the cave was a gold mine, and the entrance to it was guarded around the clock by a dragon spewing fiery flames and poisonous gases. The king who ruled in those years promised a generous reward to those who dared to kill the dragon. At first no one agreed, but still a daredevil was found, and after each blow the cave and the water in the lake shook. The depth of the cave is 18 meters and the length is 300 meters. Tourists are attracted here by picturesque stalactites and stalagmites, for easy inspection of which special routes have been developed inside the cave.
The floating bridge makes a great impression, from which you can see the seven underground lakes located inside the cave.
Modern technical means have made it possible to equip the cave with air processing and microclimate maintenance systems, thanks to which specialists can monitor any fluctuations in rocks, the slightest geological shifts and other changes.
Coordinates: 40.49147900,21.27656900
Historical center of Veria
During the Roman period, Veria was a place of worship for Christians, as the Apostle Paul preached here after arriving from Thessaloniki.
During the Byzantine Empire, the city developed rapidly, which was interrupted by the capture by the Bulgarians in the 9th century. Then Veria was conquered several more times - in 1185 by the Normans, in 1204 by the Franks, in the middle of the 13th century by the Serbs. In 1436 the city was captured by troops Ottoman Empire, under whose rule Veria was until 1912. From ancient times, sections of streets, baths, burials of the Roman and Hellenistic era, and ruins of temples have been preserved. Not far from Veria, in the monastery of the Mother of God Sumela, a miraculous icon is kept.
Coordinates: 40.52423900,22.20680200
Fur center Chrisos Kranias
Every year, CHRISOS FURS designers create models that correspond to the latest fashion trends, as well as classic collections. Raw materials for the production of fur products are purchased, as a rule, from the most famous fashion houses in the world. Production is located in the company’s workshop located in Kastoria, and all work is performed by qualified craftsmen who are well aware of their responsibility for product quality both to the customer and to the enterprise.
Every year, collections of fur products are exhibited at the most famous fur exhibitions, which take place in the largest cities in the world - in Hong Kong, Milan and even Moscow. As for the exhibition salon in Kastoria, it is open all year round and new clients are always very welcome here.
Coordinates: 40.51758400,21.25571300
The most popular attractions in Kastoria with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places for visiting famous places Kastoria on our website.
Individual and group
More attractions of Kastoria
Kastoria is the center of the nome (district) of the same name. The population is approaching 20,000 inhabitants.
The city is located at an altitude of 630 meters above sea level, between the mountains of Vitsi and Grammos, and is surrounded by a lake, connected to the land by a strip of land formed during the process of embankment work.
Throughout its centuries-old history the city was besieged more than once and subjected to invasions from Bulgaria, Normandy and Turkey. But despite this, Kastoria has managed to preserve to this day a huge number of Byzantine churches, as well as relics and mansions as proof of its heyday - during the times of active trade in fur products in many major cities Europe.
Story
According to Prokopiou, a historian of the Byzantine era who wrote the treatise “On Buildings” (553-555), in the region adjacent to Kastoria there was the Thessalian city of Diocletianoupolis, which archaeologists identified with the ancient city in the Armenochori region, located 4 kilometers to the south. Two and a half centuries after the founding of the city, the Byzantine emperor Justinian moved the city (527-565) to a fortified place on Lake Kastoria. And, as usually happens, the city now located on the lake of the same name began to be called that way.
Procopius wrote in his work: “In Thessaly there was once a city of Diocletianoupolis, which experienced prosperity in its past, however, over time, the city was destroyed by barbarian invasions, as a result of which it was devastated and remained abandoned for many years. Near the city there is Lake Kastoria, and right in the middle of the lake there is an island, which is washed on all sides by the waters of the lake, with the exception of a narrow strip of land not exceeding 4.5 meters. On the island rises high mountain, part of which is washed by the waters of the lake, and the other juts into it as a cape. That is why Justinian, seeing that the place occupied by Diocletianoupolis was clearly vulnerable to the enemy (which is why, in fact, he suffered the fate that I spoke about before), he decided to build a well-fortified city right on the island and, logically, , gave it the name by which the lake was named” (“On Buildings”, IV, 3.273).
There is another version regarding the toponym. Anna Komnena, another famous historian of the Byzantine era, the granddaughter of Emperor Alexius Komnenos, believed that the lake was really called Kastoria, but the toponym of the city comes from the word “κάστρον” - “kastron” (from the Latin castrum), which means “fortress”.
As for the name of the lake itself, known today as Orestiada, it is believed that it comes from the word “κάστορες” (“kastores”), which translated from Greek means beavers that lived here for many centuries.
According to surviving data, beavers also lived in the lake itself: document No. 1314 of the State Archives of Venice reports that the residents of Kastoria send “several beaver fur products.”
Attractions
As already noted, these places are rich in attractions. The following deserve special attention:
- Byzantine Museum
- Folklore Museum
- Aquarium
Fur production traditions
Fur products were a necessary part of clothing for wealthy Greeks, considered a symbol of nobility and a manifestation of social status. The late 17th century French traveler Antoine Olivier noted that most women in Constantinople owned up to 12 fur-trimmed dresses, some of which cost between 15,000 and 20,000 francs. It must be said that the poor class also used fur products, but from hare, jackal and sheep. Greek furriers, catching this trend, created a profitable profession and developed an active trade that went far beyond the borders of their native land, spreading to Austria, Hungary and then distant Holland.
So, from then to this day the city of Kastoria is famous for its furs. Today there are a huge number of fur coat workshops here, providing almost the whole of Europe with their products. Every year one of the largest exhibitions fur, in which all manufacturing companies strive to take part.
KASTORIA
Kastoria is a picturesque mountain town, which, by the will of fate, has become one of the leading European centers for the production of fur products.
Kastoria is located on the banks mountain lake Orestiada at an altitude of 650 m above sea level. This is a stunningly beautiful and calm town with intoxicating mountain air, quiet streets and a huge amount ancient churches.
Kastoria is the ancient capital of furriery craftsmanship, which has now reached its true peak, becoming an independent kind of art. The largest annual exhibition and sale of fur products in Europe takes place here.
In Kastoria, in the most incomprehensible way, the peace and regularity of everyday life are combined with the bustling business life of a compact industrial center for the production and trade of fur products with international significance.
An excursion to Kastoria is primarily a “business” trip. Those wishing to purchase the long-awaited fur coat are given the opportunity to visit dozens of fur salons at factories to make the necessary purchases.
The region has a developed tourism infrastructure. Both in the city itself and around it there are hotels where you will be offered a wonderful holiday, excellent service and traditional Greek hospitality.
Geographical location, nature
In Western Macedonia, in the middle of a plain surrounded by the Vitsi and Grammo mountains, lies the famous Lake Orestiada. A peninsula juts into it with a beautiful cape, on which the city of Kastoria is located. mountain range Grammo takes up the third part total area prefecture of Kastoria and is located in its southwestern part. Altitude above sea level - from 1000 to 2520 meters. The Aliakmon River flows from the slopes of the mountain.
The average summer temperature is +25° C, winter +5° C. Sometimes the temperature in winter drops below 0 degrees and the water in the lake freezes. Previously, Kastoria was considered the “Siberia” of Greece due to the cold winter by Greek standards.
There are no beaches in the city, since swimming in the lake is not accepted. But there are all the opportunities for excellent fishing, which is what many residents, as well as amateur tourists, do (while their wives buy luxurious fur coats).
Historical heritage and attractions of Kastoria
Kastoria is one of the oldest cities in Western Macedonia, founded in 840 BC. According to other sources, its first inhabitants appeared here in the 20th century BC. led by the first semi-mythological king - the god Kekrop, with a human body and serpentine legs.
By order of Kekrop, a “Cecropian wall” was erected, blocking the only passage to the Kastorian Peninsula, washed by the legendary Lake Orestiada, named after the Hellenic leader Orestes of Argos (Southern Greece), persecuted by the Dorians back in the 11th - 10th centuries BC. Based on the later destroyed “Cecrop Wall” in 525 AD. By order of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, a fortress wall and tower structures were erected, since the city of Kastoria during the Byzantine Empire (III - IV centuries AD) was the western bastion of Byzantium.
However, the medieval version of the name of the city is associated with the presence of a large number of beavers in the lake (translated from ancient Greek, “kastor” means beaver). It was the production of fur products, along with the spiritual heritage of the Byzantine era, that brought Kastoria worldwide fame.
According to another version, Castor, the son of Olympian Zeus, settled on the gray-headed Mount Seli (1700 m) and every morning looked into the mirror surface of Lake Orestiada before appearing at the symposium with his father Olympian Zeus.
The city has preserved more than 72 churches of the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods with rare frescoes of the Cretan art school, to which Theophanes the Greek belongs.
The most popular is the temple of the Holy Mother of God Mavriotis (11th century) on the shore of Lake Orestiada near a thousand-year-old plane tree, under the rustle of whose leaves, according to legend, the Pythians predicted human destinies.
The prefecture of Kastoria has preserved many ancient monuments. Wooden stands, hewn stones, and inscriptions in the village of Dispilio remind us of the Neolithic period. In the village of Argos Orestiko, objects dating back to the Roman era were found.
The city has preserved walls built by Justinian and other monuments of the Byzantine era. These are the churches of Agia Anargyri (the holy silverless people of the 10th century), St. Stephen (14th century), St. Nicholas Kosindzhi (13th century), St. George, etc. Each of the temples has its own characteristics. The Temple of Agia Anargyri is the only temple in Kastoria that has marble decorations. Its iconostasis was especially richly decorated. In the Church of Taxiarchis Mitropoulos (Metropolitan Cathedral of the Archangel) many frescoes have been preserved: Our Lady, St. Basil, Gregory the Theologian, Chrysostomos and Athanasius.
One of the most ancient churches in Kastoria is the Church of Panagia Kumbelidiki or Kastriotis (IX century). The entire structure is framed by jagged belts. The Church of St. Nicholas Kosinji was built and painted at the expense of the aristocrat Nikephoros Kasinji as a sign of gratitude to St. Nicholas for the help provided to him during his exile in Kastoria.
The panorama of the city is complemented by ancient mansions preserved from the times of Turkish rule, which give a unique flavor to the city. Among them, the following should be noted: the mansions of Yanakis, Bassaras, Tsitsap, Sapundzis, Sahinis, Tasyas. All these houses, like many others that were destroyed, had impressive sizes and rich interior decoration.
Museums of Kastoria
The Byzantine Museum is located on top of a hill where the Acropolis used to be. A unique collection of Byzantine icons from the 12th to 17th centuries is kept here. It consists of approximately 450 icons, 38 of which are exhibited in the halls of the museum (the rest are kept in its hiding places). 
Of greatest interest are the icons of the Prophet Elijah, St. Nicholas, Our Lady Hodegetria, Christ Pantocrator, Our Lady Vrefokratis (holding the baby) and Our Lady Dexiocratus (holding the baby on the right side).
In the village of Doltso in the Old Town there is the Nerandzi Aivazi estate, which today houses the ethnographic museum of the city. Its exhibition includes household items, clothing, tools and other items that were used in old estates.
Entertainment in Kastoria
The city has bars, taverns, shops and discos. The municipal theater of Kastoria operates all year round. In the summer, concerts and performances are held in the open theater on the mountain. You can ride on the lake water skiing, fishing, sailing, and water rowing. Every year in September, Kastoria becomes the venue for international rowing competitions. In winter, not far from the city (22 km), on Mount Vitsa, you can go skiing. There is a ski complex equipped with everything necessary. In general the city is very calm. Here they enjoy peace and quiet, the beauty of the mountains reflected in the mirror surface of the lake, which can only be disturbed by ducks and pelicans swimming past.
If you want to combine business with pleasure and heal during your stay in Greece, visit the village of Ammoudara (16 km from Kastoria), which is famous for its mineral springs with healing properties. There is also a hydrotherapy clinic there.
The history of the origins of fur coat production in Kastoria
Fur coat production in Kastoria (and later in its regions) originated, according to some scientists, already before the 14th century. The need for warm clothing for protection in conditions of a pronounced continental climate with cold winters led to the production of fur products from the skins of animals with thick hair.
From the 16th century, when the demand for furs increased (at that time a fur coat served not only as protection from the cold, but was also an expression of the social well-being of its wearer), Kastoria furriers began importing raw materials in order to then supply finished products to the whole of Europe.
TO XVIII century The fur coat conquered the entire civilized world and appeared as an important and necessary item - regarding women's fashion and partly men's. By that time, it was seen as an essential element of style and elegance.
In 1894, the first machine for sewing fur pieces was brought to Kastoria, thereby establishing the mechanization of the fur industry. Before the introduction of this technical innovation, all work on sewing fur coats was done by hand. A wave of emigration brought some of Kastoria's furriers to economically prosperous countries in Europe and America, on the basis of which family ties between Kastoria and its emigrants continue to function to this day, which greatly contributes to the development of the industry.
With the end of the Second World War and especially after 1950, fur production boomed in Kastoria and its regions. People created here with passionate desire and perfect technical knowledge, which is why the region became the most important international center for fur processing. The fur industry in Kastoria maintains traditional processing methods that do not lend themselves to automation. For this reason, every fur product born in Kastoria is unique and bears the brand of the product. High Quality, being an object of inspiration for what a fur coat wears, and the highest sign of craftsmanship for manufacturers.
How to get to Kastoria from Thessaloniki
Kastoria, fairy corner in the northwestern part of Greece, located 3.5-4 hours drive from Macedonia International Airport in Thessaloniki. A new road to Kastoria has recently been built, and you can drive in 2 hours straight to the center of Kastoria.
Attractions
Kastoria is a city in the center of mainland Greece, located on the shores of Lake Orestiada. Administratively belongs to the periphery Western Macedonia. There is no sea nearby, no beaches, the city is not a resort, but, nevertheless, it has received great attention from tourists for many years. And all because Kastoria has long been a center of furriery, trade in fur products, and a center of fur fashion. The first furriers appeared in the city in the 14th century, and the first artels were created in the 17th century. There are several hundred fur factories in Kastoria.
When you come to Kastoria to buy fur coats, you can have a nice rest on the shore of the lake, stay in a hotel with a SPA center, explore the city’s attractions, or go on an excursion outside the city. After all, the surroundings of Kastoria are full of antiquities, the oldest of which date back to the Neolithic era. The name of the city comes, according to one version, from the name Castor of one of the Dioscuri brothers. However, the name changed more than once, depending on who owned the city - the Romans, Bulgarians, Turks. The city became part of the Kingdom of Greece in 1913 under the Treaty of Bucharest.
Despite the subtropical climate and fairly hot summers, winters here can be quite cold, and the surface of Lake Orestiada can be covered with ice so strong for a couple of weeks that people go ice skating here. Because of this, Kastoria is often called Greek Siberia.
Kastoria is a small city with a population of just over 13 thousand inhabitants. It is located along the shore of a lake surrounded by mountains. The height of Kastoria above sea level is about 700 meters, but you can also look down on its streets by climbing one of the mountain slopes.
Fur production and finished goods stores are mainly concentrated in the Petra area and partly in the Dispilio area. The districts of Doltso and Apozari are considered aristocratic, but it is worth a look there to see how furriers of the 18th-19th centuries lived - ancient mansions have been preserved there.
Transport
You can get to Kastoria through international Airport in Thessaloniki or through the local Aristotelis airport, located five kilometers south of the city itself. The city is approximately 190 km away from Thessaloniki, which can be covered along the Thessaloniki-Kastoria highway by taxi or by renting a car at the airport if you are traveling on your own. When renting a car, it is worth taking into account such additional, although small, costs as tolls on highways. The path to Kastoria passes along a mountain serpentine road.
From Thessaloniki bus station you can take a bus to Kastoria. Those traveling as part of the purchased tour are provided with a transfer from the airport. Shub tours typically include transportation services that will take customers from factory to factory throughout the city. Taxi drivers can also provide a similar service.
Sights and excursions
In the old part of the city, traces of the presence of the owners of Kastoria from different cultures and eras have been preserved - these are the ruins of buildings that were once built here by the Romans, Byzantines, and Turks. The remains of fortress walls and towers are adjacent to temples and monasteries. In such small town over ten centuries from the 9th to the 19th centuries, more than seven dozen churches were built, even the most ancient of them have been preserved - the Church of St. Stephen (IX-X centuries), the Church of Panagia Kumbelidiki (XIII century) and others. Many of the temples were decorated with frescoes. A number of other temples are located outside the city. Perhaps of greatest interest are cave churches in Psarades. They are located on the shores of Lake Prespa and date back to the 14th-15th centuries.
Almost on the very shore of the lake there is another natural attraction - the Dragon Cave. The entrance to it resembles the mouth of a mythical monster, which is why in local folklore the legend about the tongues of flame that were spewed out by the dragon who lived in the cave is still alive. Dragons are, of course, unlikely, but the remains of an ancient bear were found there. Today it is a tourist site with artificial lighting. Inside the cave there are several halls and tunnels, fresh lakes.
About 30 km from Kastoria is the village of Nostimo, near which in the first third of the twentieth century they were looking for a coal deposit and found an ancient stone forest, which is more than 20 million years old. During one of the eruptions, tropical trees were covered with ash and stones and over such a long time they themselves turned into fossils. What was left of them were literally stone stumps. It's even more amazing to see ancient mollusks among these fossils - after all, before the earth was covered tropical forests, the waves were roaring in this place ancient sea. A museum was opened in the village itself, where all the exhibits found in Stone forest Nostimo.
In the Dispilio area there is a museum under open air Limneos Ikizimos - reconstruction on the site of an ancient Neolithic settlement. The peculiarity of the buildings is the pile construction of huts, plastered with local lake clay, and covered with thatch.
On tourism forums it is often advised that when you arrive in Kastoria, find time to visit the Meteora Monastery. The distance between them is 125 km. In the 14th century, the Monk Athanasius of Meteora founded the first Christian community in that place, while Byzantine hermits settled there even earlier - starting in the 11th century. Now Meteora has six monasteries, the second most important Orthodox center in Greece. The monasteries stand on top of a stone cliff, as if floating in the air (“meteora” - soaring).
Recreation and entertainment
Beach holiday or holidays with children are not provided here. However, on the shore there is always something to do for a tourist who has already decided on his fur coat affairs. Firstly, in the summer there are walks on the lake on boats and yachts, water skiing and rowing boats, fishing - the lake is home to carp, perch, and catfish. Orestiada (the second name of the lake is Kastoria) is recognized as one of the most beautiful lakes on the Balkan Peninsula; in Greece it is declared a natural monument. The lake is home to wild ducks, cormorants and other birds, and sometimes swans and pelicans fly here. Due to the presence of beavers in the lake, there is another version of the origin of the name of the city: “kastores” in Greek is beavers, and their skins served as material for local furriers.
In winter, in addition to skating on the ice of a frozen lake, you can also go ice skating near Kastoria. alpine skiing. Approximately 20 km north of the city, near the settlement of Polykerason on the slopes of Mount Vitsi there is ski resort, open December-March. The resort is located at an altitude of 1800 meters, has only five slopes, three lifts. The length of all descents is about four kilometers.
In addition to shopping and active recreation, The cultural program in Kastoria is also guaranteed in both winter and summer. On New Year's Eve, the city hosts the Ragoutsaria carnival, which is said to have its origins in the ancient Winter Dionysia festival, held in honor of the god of winemaking and the end of the grape harvest. During Dionysius, noisy processions usually took place in Greece, accompanied by drinking new wine, music and dancing. In Kastoria they still adhere to this ancient tradition and walk for several days in December. In the summer, guests and residents enjoy the local theater with its performances, and taverns and restaurants are open all year round without interruption.
Shopping
Of course, in Kastoria you can buy all sorts of trinkets and quite useful souvenirs like natural cosmetics and olive oil. But the main trophy from Kastoria is a fur coat. Together with the neighboring town of Siatista, Kastoria forms the center of the fur industry, from where “soft gold” is exported throughout the world. There are about 50 km between these cities. Siatista has beautiful mansions, a special local wine made from dried grapes, and the fur coat industry began to develop here after the Second World War.
In May, the international fur exhibition Kastoria International Fur Fair is held in Kastoria. Fur clothing from local, other Greek and European brands is exhibited here. The organizer of the event is the Kastoria Furriers Association. The exhibition has been held since 1976 and is aimed not only at consumers, but also at producers. New technologies, equipment, materials are presented here, design seminars and, of course, fashion shows are held.
The duration of an organized fur coat tour to Kastoria can be in different time year from three days to two weeks. Tours may include an obligation to buy fur products, or may be sold without them. For a tour with a commitment, the price of the products will be reduced, but if the tourist does not buy anything or purchases for an amount lower than that agreed upon in the terms of the tour, he will have to pay extra for the tour. Prices for last year's fur collections are usually lower than for new ones.
The trade in fur coats in Kastoria is carried out, in particular, on Kicknon Avenue, where many factories are located. The factory is a small building with a boutique on the ground floor and an atelier on the upper floors. In the Chloe area there is a permanent fur fair - shopping mall"Edika." The oldest currently operating fur factory in Kastoria is Avanti, founded back in the 1860s.
Which is located in the region of Western Macedonia. The city of Kastoria is built on a peninsula at an altitude of 620 meters above sea level, and its main attraction is the picturesque Lake Orestiada.
Kastoria is modern city, which has retained its character and traditional Greek architecture. Main feature Kastoria are fur factories, thanks to them, thousands of tourists come to the city every year to buy fur products and spend an unforgettable beach holiday.
The resort of Kastoria is also famous for its numerous Byzantine churches and the mysterious cave of the same name. The panorama of the city is complemented by mysterious ancient mansions that were built during Turkish rule. This period is considered the economic heyday of Kastoria, because it was at this time that the trade and craft activities of local furriers developed in the city. These mansions give a special flavor to the resort town of Kastoria.
Kastoria: entertainment and active recreation
Leisure and sports are firmly entrenched in the resort city of Kastoria. The city has its own football team, Kastoria FC, which was created in 1963 and still takes part in the Greek football championships.
Lake Kastoria offers water skiing, fishing, sailing and water rowing. Every September, the city of Kastoria becomes the venue for international rowing competitions.
In Kastoria there is a School of Tourism, where various kinds of hikes and outings, sporting events and competitions are organized. In Kastoria you can go hunting, visit famous spa centers or stay for a couple of days on a farm and engage in agritourism.
In winter, there is also something to do in Kastoria - not far from the city, just 22 km away, you can go skiing on Mount Vitsa. There is a ski complex equipped with the necessary equipment for an excellent active winter holiday.
Transport in Kastoria is represented by buses, taxis and cars. From large Greek cities Regular buses run to Kastoria; the price of a ticket varies depending on the distance: from Athens to Kastoria - about 500 km, from Thessaloniki to Kastoria - 250 km.
Public transport in Kastoria runs from all points and has a variety of routes. The nearest car rental points are in the city of Thessaloniki, where you can rent a car or motorcycle and move around the city of Kastoria and Northern Greece on your own.