Traveling north... Kastoria, Nymfaion & Mt. Vitsi

A weekend in my country is always the opportunity for a trip. I enjoy traveling around and discover new places and amazing beauty areas and as you know very well... I like sharing my impressions of those short or long explorations with you, my friends from all over the world. So... time to come with me and discover one more beautiful area of my country. Enjoy Kastoria, Nymfaion and Mt. Vitsi in my blog!

Friday, early morning I left Athens travelling north and my first stop was Thessaloniki, the co-capital of Greece. A nice breakfast with coffee, cream pie (mbougatsa) and sweet bread (tsoureki) at Tekenlis cafe at Mitropoleos street was the start of a wonderful weekend. After the breakfast... time to travel west. The destination of the first day was the city of Kastoria and its lake Orestiada.

The city of Kastoria lies in West Macedonia, Hellas/Greece, and is the capital of the Kastoria Prefecture . It is built amphitheatrically around a peninsula that shoots into Orestiada Lake and seems to emerge through it. This unique city layout, facing both to the north and to the south, caressed by the lake water and combined with the lush greenery surrounding it, highlights its unsurpassed beauty.

Kastoria is a lovely city, well worthy of the interest of international and Greek travelers. Its natural wealth, as well as the large number of monuments from various historical eras, form a combination of unique beauty. Apart from the numerous Byzantine churches at various parts of the city, together with the relics of city walls and old mansions, excavations during the last few years have brought to the surface many important archaeological finds that shed light on the historical course of the area. The lake of Kastoria is the most precious treasure of the town. It is a jewel that both the visitors and the inhabitants can enjoy, as a place of recreation and as a stimulus for romanticism and reminiscence. At the lakeshore there are enough squares and parks. In these specially formulated spaces, the visitor has the possibility to walk on the stone pavements and to admire the unique natural beauty of the lake at all seasons. Lake Orestiada of Kastoria is considered morphologically the most beautiful lake of Greece and has been announced a Monument of Natural Beauty " by the Ministry of Culture. The natural basin of the lake, which is enclosed by mountains of excellent geomorphology, constitutes a unique hydrobiotope. It is a hydrotope of great importance for the aquatic but also for the birds of prey and uses as an area of reproduction, nourishment and hibernation. It maintains a rich bird fauna, which includes rare and menaced species. More specifically: Pygmy Cormorant, White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Great White Erget, Glossy Ibis, Goosander, Marsh Harrier, Whiskered Tern, etc. In the lake there are great quantities of various fish species, and offers the possibility for fishing, both with the traditional boats in the deep waters and with fishing rod in the lakeshores. In the lake's waters there are fishes such as, Carps, butterfly fishes, italian bleak, northern pike, etc. Fishing is allowed almost throughout the year, except the period of the fish reproduction.

Kastoria has always been the basis for many excursions in the area, even more so now that the new Egnatia National road gets you to Thessaloniki in less than two hours; to Vergina (location of the alleged grave of King Philippos, father to Alexander the Great of Macedonia) in less than one and a half hours; to Nympheon (the wolf and brown bear protection area) in three-quarters of an hour; to the utopic scenery of the Prespes lakes in around one hour; to the petrified forest and its Museum of Palaeontology in Nostimo Village in one-half hour; to the 7500 year-old prehistoric lake settlement in Dispilio in only ten minutes, and to Nestorio in less than half-an-hour, a world-renowned site for concerts, camping, nature, and outstanding scenery.

The Monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa which is placed approximately 4 kilometers from the city center at the east side of the lake is one of the most memorable Monasteries of Kastoria which is in some way obligatory to be visited once you are in Kastoria. It is believed the Monastery was built during the Byzantine era while Alixios Komninos the First was the emperor 1081-1118 a.d. The catholicon of the monastery belongs to the category of basilica one-colored woodmade.

The drawings which can be found in the inside of the Monastery are thought to belong in different time periods. On the eastern side of the indoor wall the drawings are considered to belong in the first half of the 12th century on the other hand the other part of the same wall is considered to belong on the ending of the 12th century. On the whole western wall the drawings are considered to belong on the end of the 12th century. During the Turkish captivity naturally the drawings were seriously damaged. The eyes from the Saints were completely vanished as it happened in the churches all over the country. Despite all that the Monastery was and is at all the time his existence one of the most important places in Kastoria especially as a spiritual place. This can also justify the special interest Byzantine Kings have had for the Monastery. It is certain that if you visit the Monastery of Panagia of Mauriotissa you will realize it on your own and it will amazingly relax you so it is definitely worth a visit and I strongly recommend it.

Don't forget to stop and watch the 900 years old marvellous platan tree which counts the passing years beside the lake Orestiada, outside the monastery of Mavriotissa.

One of the attractions of the area is Nymfaio and one of the place you must not forget to visit. Nymfaio is located on Mount Vitsi at an altitude of 1350 m. Its history begins around 1385, when the first inhabitants came here from the plains around Zazari lake, in order to avoid, the Ottoman ocupation. In the next few years Vlah settlers became the majority and the named the village "Niveasta". There are 3 diferent explanations about what this name means. 1. "Nymph" because of the beauty of the village and the natural environment. 2. "Invisible", because it's indeed invisible from the plains. 3. "Where snow stays", because of the cold climate. Later, around the 18th and the 19th century the village was called "Neveska" (a name of Albanian origins)and in 1928 it took its current name. The village knew times of great wealth and prosperity because of the talent of their inhabitants in jewelry. After WW2, it followed the destiny of many villages in the Greek countryside. It was almost completely abandoned, until the early '80s, when many returned and restored their beautiful houses. Now it is considered one of the most important winter atractions in Greece , and there a lot of traditional guesthouses that promise to take you deep in the atmosphere of the "old days". A must see! Among the many beautiful stone buildings, in Nymfaio, (officially declared one of the most beautiful traditional villages in Europe ), the most impressive is Nikeios School which was donated to the village, in 1928, by Jean Nikou, a very wealthy tobacco merchant, who was from Nymfaio. Don't leave without visit it.

Less than one kilometer from the village a famous Bear Sanctuary was build and organized by the organization "Arcturos". Since its foundation in 1992 ARCTUROS has been actively working for the conservation of the Brown Bear and its habitat in Greece and in the Balkans. ARCTUROS accomplished the elimination of the phenomenon of the dancing bear in Greece, and today continues working for the obliteration of illegal captivity in the wider region of the Balkans. Today fifteen bears that were either former dancing bears, captive bears from zoos or orphaned cubs that have since come of age, are sheltered in the ARCTUROS' Bear Sanctuary at Nimfeo. In accordance with EEC Directive 92/43 in 1993 ARCTUROS was assigned the LIFE - NATURE Programme 'ARCTOS' which involved the participation of various governmental and non-governmental bodies.

One of the first tasks of Arcturos, in 1992, was to provide a hosting facility for confiscated dancing bears. In 1993, with the assistance of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the Bear Sanctuary was built outside the traditional village of Nymfeo, near Florina. The five hectare enclosure is built in beech forest, which is a natural habitat of wild bears. Before reaching the Sanctuary, all confiscated bears went through a rehabilitation period at the Veterinary Station. Today, there are fifteen bears at the Sanctuary, including, apart from ex-dancing bears, animals from zoos and circuses. In June 1999, during the NATO bombings, ARCTUROS transported from Belgrade Zoo three cubs which are now ready to integrate with the other bears. The Bear Sanctuary does not only provide near-natural living conditions, but plays a big role in the education and sensitization of the 50,000 people who visit it each year. I visited the area one more time, 10 years ago, and for me, these bears are old friends and I am so happy to realize that they are healthy and they have find a peaceful place to live the rest of their life under the care and love of Arcturos organization's people.

Returning from Numfaion village we have chosen the road that drives you to Kastoria passing one of the most beautiful Greek mountains, Vitsi. Mt Vitsi is part of Mount Verno in western Macedonia between Florina and Kastoria prefectures and a trip through it is cabable to leave you speechless from the amazing

Those 3 days I spent at the north west part of my country offered me the calm and rest I needed and gave me the opportunity to be in touch with the beautiful nature of the area. I believe we should find the time to live the experience of a trip like this one, recharge our batteries and return at the stressful life of the monster city and our crazy life.