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Off Topic: Three days in Kastoria and Prespes

· 6 min read
Eleni Grosdouli
Eleni Grosdouli
DevOps Consulting Engineer at Cisco Solutions GmbH

Summary:

From one lake to another. From Lake Plastira to Kastoria and Prespes. If you are a nature lover and have a few more days in Greece, I would recommend visiting them.

title image reading "Profitis Ilias"

Geography​

Starting with Kastoria, it is a city in northern Greece and located in the region of Western Macedonia. Kastoria lies between the Grammos and the Verson/Vitsi mountain range. Orestiada Lake hosts 200 species, including rare and endangered ones.

Continuing with Prespes or the Prespa National Park, from a geographical point of view, it is part of the region of Florina, and is also located in Western Macedonia. It is a UNESCO protected area which spands between three countries, Greece, Albania and Northern Macedonia. Biodiversity within the park is extremely rich with 1,100 plant species, 60 mammal species and 260 bird species. As you can imagine, it is a must-visit destination that is visited by hundreds of people all around the globe.

Kastoria/Prespes​

How to get there?​

You can reach Kastoria by car via the E65 highway from Thessaloniki or the E65/E92 from Ioannina. A bus to the destination is also possible from Thessaloniki or from Athens.

Accomodation​

We decided to stay a bit outside of Kastoria in the Maniaki town. The reasoning behind the decision was the fact that we had a car, and the town is less crowded than the city of Kastoria. Plus, it is only 5 minutes away from Kastoria. But feel free to choose the accommodation of your preference.

Must See​

If you have three days in Kastoria, I would recommend spending one of them in the Prespa National Park. For the remaining two, we visited must-see attractions in Kastoria and spent one day exploring the outskirts of Kastoria.

Kastoria​

  • Cannot miss Lake Orestiada or Kastoria's Lake; just take a refreshment and enjoy the view title image reading "Kastoria Lake"
  • Dragon's Cave for magnificent stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes
  • After the Dragon's Cave, take the one-way road and visit the Monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa. The way goes around the lake, and you can see different bird species. I would recommend leaving the car in the parking and walking there.
  • From there, continue to the Ottoman legacy region and just walk to see the different buildings and unique architecture
  • And if you feel adventurous, go up the Prophet Elias and enjoy the stunning view title image reading "Profitis Ilias View"
  • For families, a visit to the local aquarium is ideal

Prespa National Park​

Take a look at the latest hiking paths and updates provided by the municipality. From a walking/easy hiking point of view, below are a few destinations you can visit.

title image reading "Prespes Map"

Food and Coffee​

Most of the restaurants around the area provide well-cooked, homemade meals at reasonable prices. Below are my recommendations.

Restaurants​

  • Kratergo: Well-cooked meals owned by locals at very reasonable prices. We had an excellent lunch.
  • To Steki tis Pareas: Traditional and more modern cuisine. We had an early dinner.

Coffee​

You can find coffee pretty much everywhere. Choose your poison!

Enjoy your stay at Kastoria!