Thessaloniki to Ioannina – Private Day Trip

Lake Pamvotis: a 20,000-year-old attraction! City life revolves around this romantic, silver-grey lake. Get to know it by strolling along its banks, taking a boat ride, fishing, rowing, or having a drink or a bite on the lakefront. According to geologists at Cambridge University, it was formed between 20,000 and 26,000 years ago.

Nisi: the Island, a Byzantine realm. It’s only a short boat ride to the Island, but once there, you’ll have to walk. Make sure you visit the Byzantine monasteries, which all have wonderful frescoes. And then take some time to learn about Ali Pasha, the Lion of Epirus. Regarded by Napoleon as an equal, he was erratic, a heady brew of fierce and fearsome, cultured and charismatic, hosting a great number of foreign dignitaries in his palace, including Lord Byron. He ruled over greater Epirus for 30 years in defiance of the Sultan. In the Ali Pasha Museum, arranged to resemble a traditional Ioannina home of the period, you’ll learn the whole story, which ended with his assassination in the monastery of Agios Panteleimon. Finish your visit on a lighter note with a feast of local specialties, such as grilled trout and eel, at one of the island’s tavernas.

The Kastro, a melting pot of religions and cultures. For centuries, Jews, Christians and Muslims coexisted in the alleys of this oldest, walled part of Ioannina. And their children played amongst Muslim monuments and synagogues. Today many of their pastel-coloured Macedonian-style houses are still lived in or have become boutique hotels. As you wander these atmospheric streets in the shadow of its sturdy walls, fascinating attractions will catch your eye; the Old Synagogue, the House of Pasha Kalou, the 18th century Soufari Serai, where Ali Pasha’s horses were exercised, the Turkish baths (hammams) and lots, lots more.

Its Kale, the Kastro’s inner citadel in Ioannina. Just sit in the cafe, encircled by the impressive buildings and walls of Its Kale with the lake beyond them, and you’ll feel transported back to another era. Then go explore the citadel in depth, for here are the Fetihe Mosque (which Ali Pasha built for his seraglio’s worship), the tomb (where his headless corpse was interred), the exceptional Byzantine Museum, the resplendent Treasury, the Arcades and Bohemond’s tower.

Modern architectural landmarks. The Palace of Justice; the Archaeological Museum, designed by noted Greek architect Aris Konstantinidis in Litharitsia park; the Military Headquarters, inaugurated in 1879; the Town Hall of 1938; the Bank of Greece; the National Bank – all are key monuments of latter-day Ioannina. Behind the Military Headquarters is the Cultural Centre Square, where the Veli mosque stands.