Lake of Ioannina: a 20,000 year old attraction!

The life of the city revolves around it. Walking, fishing, boat rides, rowing, coffee or food by the water. Lake Pamvotis, according to research by the University of Cambridge, is thought to be 20,000 to 26,000 years old.

Get to know the cultural heritage and tradition on the island of the Byzantines

A few minutes boat ride on the lake and you arrive at the island, which is overflowing with sights. Prepare to walk around to experience its precious Byzantine heritage and monasteries, such as those of Agios Nikolaos of Philanthropines (1292), the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Agios Panteleimon, where Ali Pasha was killed. In the Ali Pasha Museum, in a space designed in accordance with the popular houses of the period in Yannia, the dominant feature is the painting showing the delivery of his head to the Sultan. In the taverns of the island you can taste trout or eel.

Enjoy a walk on the lakeside pedestrian street of Ioannina

In the early morning there is always a curtain of fog on the lake. When it recedes, cyclists, fishermen, walkers on the lakeside walkway emerge beside the water, next to the scattered outdoor sculptures of continental artists. You walk among the sights of Ioannina, in the shadow of the two mosques of the Castle – Aslan and Fethiye – with a view to the left of the island and in the distance Mount Peristeri and the Tzoumerka Mountains. The most beautiful walk near the lake ends in the area of Navtakia, the old fish market and Tabakika.

The Castle of Religions and Cultures

Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together for centuries in the alleys of the castle and their children played among the Muslim monuments and synagogues. Today, several of the Macedonian houses are inhabited or have become guesthouses. You can spend days wandering through the sturdy walls, while wherever you look in Ioannina, some impressive sights will be on your way: the Jewish Synagogue, the House of Pasha Kalou, the Sufari Serai (18th century) – inside which Ali Pasha’s horsemen were trained – the Turkish baths (hamam) and many others.

Enjoy a coffee with a view of Itz Kale, the impressive citadel

Enjoy your coffee surrounded by the buildings and walls of Itz Kale, overlooking the lake, and you will feel like you are stepping back in time. Walking around you will see the Fethiye Mosque built in 1795 by Ali Pasha as a temple for his seraglio, Ali Pasha’s tomb where his headless body was buried, the excellent Byzantine Museum, the Treasury, the Lodges, the so-called Bohemian Tower.

Explore the busy shopping side of the city

In Ioannina, on busy Michael Angelou Street, the city is bustling with life: here you will find cafes and expensive shops and on 28th October Street boutiques. Aneksartisia Street is the old shopping street that was formed after the great fire of 1869. On this street and in its vertical streets dozens of small shops, crafts, blacksmith shops and the old arcades, some of which, such as the Loulis Gallery, have been restored. A traditional shopping street is also Lord Vyronos.

Learn the history of the famous Ancient Dodona, the oracle of Zeus

Twenty-two kilometres south of Ioannina, in a wonderful location in the narrow valley between Tomaros and Manoliasa, lies Dodoni, one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. A centre of worship of Zeus, the father of the gods, it was famous for its oracle, considered the oldest in Greece. The oracles interpreted the will of Zeus from the rustling of the leaves of his sacred tree, the oak, and from the flight of the birds that nested in it. At the site you will also admire the famous theatre, with a capacity of about 18,000 people, which is one of the largest in Greece and was built in the 3rd century BC.

The cave of Perama, one of the most beautiful in the Balkans

It is just 4 km from Ioannina. It is considered one of the most beautiful in the Balkans and is 1.5 million years old. With 19 different kinds of stalactites, you will be impressed by the great hall of the “mythical palaces”, the stalagmite “Statue of Liberty”, the “Santa Claus” and the “new state” with its wonderful lakes.