"Kastoria, the fur capital of Europe." Top 5 Page for this destination Kastoria by JLBG

Kastoria Travel Guide: 46 reviews and 177 photos

Kastoria, with a population just over 50,000, is the seat of a “nome” (prefecture) which is one of the most mountainous of Greece. It is located in the northeast of Western Macedonia, which means that it is very close to the Albanian border. Actually, as the crow flies, it is 17 km (38 km by road) from the border and 50 km (91 km by road) from Korcë while it is 140 km (195 km by road) from Thessaloniki and 350 km (565 km by road) from Athens.

For a long time, it had a very mixed population but in 1924 when borders were established between the new states of Greece, Albania and Turkey, most of the Albanian speaking population (mostly Moslem) was expelled either to neighboring Albania or to Turkey while there houses were attributed to Greeks expelled from Asia minor, ie Turkey.

The full name of Skanderbeg (1444-1468), the national hero of Albania, was Georges Skenderbeg Kastrioti, which means “from Kastoria” and he was “king of Epirus and Albania”.

Kastoria

Kastoria stands on a peninsula extending in lake Orestida, said to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Greece and has been announced a "Monument of Natural Beauty " by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

There are several opinions about the etymology of Kastoria. The most widely accepted is that it derives from the beavers (in Greek kastores) living in the lake and that were hunted for their fur.

Intro Updated Oct 25, 2008
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Reviews (15)

Free hotel! Hotels (1)

We were lucky to find out of town but on the other side of lake Orestida a kind of terrace that seemed to have been used... more travel advice

School warning signs. Warnings and Dangers (1)

I am always increasing my collection of school warning road signs. In Kastoria, I got two different ones, hand made... more travel advice

Odd chapel Off The Beaten Path (1)

Roadsides in Greece are dotted with small chapels with a burning lamp and a few pictures to honor some saint. Amazingly,... more travel advice

Park along lake Orestida Things to Do (12)

A very pleasant park stands along lake Orestida. It has well shaded areas and moreover, you can get a fresh beer at one... more travel advice

Comments (7)

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nickandchris Apr 29, 2009 at 12:55 AM

Loved the school signs!!! Yes, Greece certainly has some diverse and beautiful architecture. Thanksfor visiting Zakynthos. It is now very touristy.
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Nemorino Nov 21, 2008 at 3:03 AM

Hi Jean-Louis, I continue to be amazed at the beautiful out-of-the-way places you have been to.
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deecat Nov 11, 2008 at 1:14 PM

I would never have known from the architecture that Kastoria was part of Greece. Enjoyed the Balkanic style. The churches were interesting, too. Found the storks great & had seen them in Greece also. When you traveled, to you sleep in a tent?
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cachaseiro Nov 8, 2008 at 3:55 PM

very nice page. i really like the architecture in kastoria.
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SLLiew Nov 6, 2008 at 7:19 PM

Great page of Kastoria. Nice unique architecture. Cool to see nestling storks.
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Kuznetsov_Sergey Nov 3, 2008 at 9:44 PM

Yes, I know Kastoria as the fur capital of Greece. A friend of mine went there with a tour which combined excursions and shopping. She bought a fur-coat and it was cheaper than here in Moscow.
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evaanna Oct 27, 2008 at 1:01 PM

Interesting architecture and beautiful scenery. Your hotel must be the only one on VT offering free accommodation.:)