
Guide to Ioannina
Ioannina is reflected in the waters of Lake Pamvotis, steeped in the legends of Kyra-Frosini and Ali Pasha. A city ‘First in arms, money and letters’, as the folk musician tells us.
The old town and the castle, where Byzantine, Muslim and Jewish elements coexist side by side, is a living museum. Wander through the cobbled streets, admire its traditional buildings, the Aslan mosque (Municipal Museum) and the area of Its-Kale where the Byzantine Museum, the Fethiye mosque and the tomb of Ali Pasha are located.Try the local ‘Ioanniotiko’ cuisine at the tavernas along the lakeside road. In the town centre, you can visit the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina, the clock tower and the Municipal Art Gallery.
Present-day Ioannina (or Yiannena) is the most important financial and cultural centre in northwestern Greece, with an active cultural life, a university, conference centres and a vibrant nightlife. It is also renowned for its silversmiths, who carry on a centuries-old tradition. Handcrafted Ioanniotiko silverware, well-known for its unique style, can be admired at the Ioannina Traditional Craft Centre and at the silversmiths in the town.
In late Byzantine times, a substantial monastic community was established on the beautiful islet in the centre of the lake. The picturesque village is an ideal place for a pleasant walk. You can visit the Philantropenoi Monastery, with its frescoes of ancient philosophers, a unique sight for Greece, as well as the Museum of the Pre-Revolutionary Period, which is housed in the rooms where Ali Pasha was assassinated.
Take a guided tour of the Cave of Perama, which is among the best caves in the world and is richly adorned with stalactites and stalagmites. It also houses rare fossils of an extinct cave bear. In Bizani, a unique journey through modern Greek history awaits, recreated by the wax figures that stand proudly in the famous Pavlos Vrellis Greek History Museum.
The lake is ideal for rowing and water-skiing and the lakeside roads are perfect for cycling.
Activities

Experiences
Epirus manages to be a one-of-a-kind destination: an enviable combination of cultures and traditions, with a natural environment unique in Greece, and it never fails to surprise and delight its visitors. Epirus is located in the north-west corner of Greece and is an ideal travel destination all year round.
Gastronomy-Ioannina

Nature-Ioannina

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Adventure-Ioannina

Culture-Ioannina

Marketplace-Ioannina

Suggested Routes
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Epirus manages to be a one-of-a-kind destination: an enviable combination of cultures and traditions, with a natural environment unique in Greece, and it never fails to surprise and delight its visitors. Epirus is located in the north-west corner of Greece and is an ideal travel destination all year round.