Romantic Kastoria city and the lady of the Lake.

A recent weekend in the region of Kastoria, reminded me the beauty of nature and relaxation that one gets when in contact with this area! Kastoria is located 593 km from Athens and 226 km from Thessaloniki. I started from Thessaloniki, one sunny morning a few weeks ago. The road to Kastoria is big and comfortable and the distance time is approximately two hours. So, i almost didn't realize how time passed when I arrived.

The City of Kastoria

Kastoria is built on a peninsula bordering the lake. The first images of the city as we approached by car, are really stunning cause of the lake water's embracing the city! Kastoria was famous for its fur production. Even today it is the main occupations of the inhabitants. According to historians, the city is built on the site of the ancient city Keletron. Few historical references exist for this ancient city. The Roman historian Livy wrote a short description of it. Historians, however, talk about a settlement of Iron Age, in the same position even before Keletron.

Once we got into the city and settled at the hotel, the first thing we did was to get out to walk a little. We wandered around the streets of the city, admired the Kastoria mansions and visited many churches. We were told that the Byzantine churches of the city exceed 70. Regarding the notorious Kastoria Mansions, ie buildings used by the locals for houses, they were built in the 18th century and are architecturally outstanding. They are the living witnesses of the financial health of Kastoria during the time the fur edge in the region. Most houses have two floors. They feature a garden, yard and balcony. In some houses, however, we meet 3 or 4 floors. We were even told that the courtyards of Kastoria mansions reached up to the lake, where residents had their boats to move around.

The Lake of Kastoria

The next day we did our tour around the lake. A narrow winding road, with limited cars and many people walking around, gave us an excellent view of the lake! If you love walking, I strongly recommend to walk the path. Be enchanted by the beauty of nature and feel rejuvenated!

The lake of Kastoria is of outstanding natural beauty and people around the world discover and visit it to experience its unique magic. That special magic you should get to know too! Kastoria is a city of romance! This feeling of romance is undoubtedly because of the Lake, which embraces the perimeter of the city. The quiet waters of the lake, small boats, colors of the sun, the moon, whichever hour looking at it, make it one of the most romantic cities in Northern Greece.

Kastoria is also a city for the photographer inside you, since has many beautiful corners worth to capture with your lenses! A trip to Kastoria then, is a great opportunity to experience for a while something different. Plan it!