Kastoria, the most beautiful town in Macedonia

Unquestionably, Kastoria is the most beautiful town in Macedonia and, perhaps, in northern Greece. It's a town which held on to its Greek character and traditions throughout the years.

The beauty of the natural setting around the lake of Kastoria impressed all the foreign travellers who visited it during all time and the site still preserves its physical charms.

This is enhanced by the choice of location and the quality of the architectural environment as it was fashioned downthrough time up to the present.

The prefecture of Kastoria is situated in the western end of West Macedonia. It is adjacent on the north with the prefecture of Florina, on the south, east and south-east with the prefecture of Gevena and Kozani, on the south-west with the prefecture of Ionnina and on the west with Albania.

The soil of the region is mountainous and the climate is continental with cold winters and hot summers. The temperature presents great variations between winter and summer, and during winter it is often below zero so the lake waters are frozen.

According to the latest census the population of Kastoria comes up to 51.934 inhabitants.

The traces of the human presence in the region of Kastoria go back to prehistory. The systematic archaeological research brought to light the first lake settlement, which is dated since 5000 BC and the works brought to light a lot of archaeological findings that disclose the broader cultural development of the region throughout the centuries.

The particular economic growth of the region during the mid-Byzantine period and the period of the Turkish domination is represented by the unique samples of church architecture and temple hagiography that are still rescued.
Its mansions show the elements of the architecture of that period in combination with some local elements.
Today there are remarkable efforts to preserve and revive the customs, to organize modern cultural manifestations and to institute and operate new