A Kastoria road trip in West Macedonia takes you to the high heart of the north. You drive to a city that sits on a narrow peninsula in the middle of a mountain lake. The water is calm and full of wild pelicans and elegant swans. You see old mansions built by wealthy fur traders many centuries ago. The stone streets wind up the hill to offer views of the snowy peaks. It is a place that feels refined and quiet compared to the busy south.
The road to the Prespa Lakes brings you to the quiet corner where three nations meet. You drive through vast bean fields and thick oak forests. The air is cool and the silence of the mountains is deep and restful. You can visit ancient hermit cells carved into the rocks right by the water edge. It is a place that feels like the edge of the world. You will see more birds than people in this remote part of the country.
Head to the mountain town of Nymfaio for a walk in a perfectly restored stone village. You might even see a brown bear at the local forest sanctuary nearby. The roads are high and the views are wide over the plains of Macedonia. It is a land of peaks and legends that most tourists never get to see. This is the place for the driver who wants to discover something truly new.
West Macedonia highlights
- Prespa Lakes Drive to the quiet corner where three countries meet at a high and blue mountain lake. The area is a haven for rare birds like pelicans and has a very quiet and old feel. The stone villages are unique and the people grow famous giant beans in the fields.
- Kastoria Lake Steer your car around the large lake to see the city sitting on a narrow neck of land. The water is calm and full of wild pelicans and elegant swans that follow the shore. The drive is grand and offers many views of the old fur trading mansions.
- Nymfaio Stone Village Climb the winding road to reach one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the north. All the houses are made of local stone and the paths are cobbled and very narrow. There is a famous bear sanctuary nearby hidden in the thick beech forest.
- Arcturos Bear Center Visit the forest home for bears and wolves that have been saved from the wild by locals. It is a great stop during a mountain drive to learn about the nature of the north. The forest is deep and cool and smells of damp earth and leaves.
- Siatista Mansions Explore this mountain town famous for its grand merchant houses with amazing wall paintings. It shows the great wealth that fur and wine once brought to the people of the region. The drive is high and dry and offers views of the stony peaks.
- Kozani Saffron Fields Drive through the flat plains in the late autumn to see the purple flowers of the saffron. The area is a unique agricultural landscape and the local food is very rich and tasty. You can buy the world's best saffron right from the local producers.
- Aliakmonas River Dam Follow the road to this massive dam that creates a large blue lake in the green hills. The view from the top is a great display of human engineering and the power of water. The surrounding hills are green and full of quiet paths for a walk.
- Grevena Mushroom Forest This region is the mushroom capital of Greece with many wild types growing in the woods. The drive takes you through the Pindus foothills where the nature is very raw and wild. The air is fresh and the local taverns serve amazing mushroom dishes.
- Vasilitsa Ski Center Drive high into the peaks to see one of the most beautiful ski spots in the whole country. The pine trees are huge and the snow stays on the high slopes late into the spring. The road is a thrill to drive with many turns and massive alpine views.
- Florina River Walk Park the car and walk along the river that flows through the center of this misty town. The old houses on the bank look like they are from another era and have very bright colors. The drive to the northern border is very scenic and passes through high forests.
The local Four
History of West Macedonia
West Macedonia is home to the lake settlement of Dispilio, where a wooden tablet was found in 1993 that dates back to 5200 BC. On a Kastoria road trip, you explore a region that has been a center for fur trading since the Byzantine era. The town of Kastoria grew wealthy by processing beaver and otter furs and built seventy-two stone churches between the 9th and 19th centuries. The name of the town comes from the Greek word kastoras, which means beaver.
The region of Prespa is home to two of the oldest lakes in Europe, which are over five million years old. These lakes host the largest breeding colony of Dalmatian Pelicans in the world, with over one thousand pairs nesting there. In 1912, the region was a major front during the Balkan Wars, leading to its liberation from Ottoman rule. The high altitude of the province makes it the coldest region in Greece, with temperatures often dropping below minus twenty degrees.
The town of Nymfaio was once a major center for gold and silversmithing in the Balkans during the 18th century. It features grand stone mansions that were built to withstand the heavy snow and potential raids from mountain bandits. In 1992, the Arcturos environmental center was established nearby to protect the local population of brown bears and wolves. The province remains a land of prehistoric secrets, medieval fur wealth and high-altitude wildlife preserves.