4N Enjoyable Tour of Greece

Ioannina, the provincial capital, is a logical base for exploring Zagori. A charming and relaxed university town on the west shores of Lake Pamvotida, its historic center still stands behind fortified walls. Ioannina’s rich Byzantine and Ottoman heritage comes alive in the well-preserved Kastro (castle). Initiated in 528 CE by Emperor Justinian (making it Greece’s oldest castle), it attained its zenith during the Ottoman Empire with the addition of a harem and the Fethiye Mosque. The erstwhile mosque today hosts the Municipal Ethnographic Museum of Ioannina, displaying a miscellany of historical artifacts that honor the Islamic and, intriguingly, Jewish heritage of the town. Don’t miss the tomb of regional ruler Ali Pasha (1740-1822), also within the Kastro precincts.

Speckled throughout one of the least densely populated regions of Greece are 40-plus settlements known as the Zagori villages. Declared a national historical monument, these humble villages of stone cottages with mossy slate roofs were once connected by kalderimi (cobbled footpaths), switchback staircases, and stone bridges arching over the Voidomatis River. Some homes have ceilings adorned with wood carvings; others have frescoes. Hiking between these villages is one of the best excursions in Greece.