Is Ioannina Worth Visiting?

Ioannina puts mainland Greece on full display with a lake nearly seven million years old, the oldest continuously inhabited Byzantine fortress in the country, and a lineup of gorges and villages within easy reach.

Ioannina, the capital of Epirus, sits on the shore of Lake Pamvotida, one of the oldest lakes in Europe. Its castle is the oldest continuously inhabited Byzantine fortress in Greece, and walking through its gates puts you in a real neighborhood rather than a roped off ruin. Ali Pasha ran a semi-autonomous state from here in the early 19th century, and his tomb still sits inside the citadel alongside the Fethiye Mosque, built over the remains of an earlier Byzantine church.

A short boat ride crosses to a car-free island in the middle of the lake, home to monasteries and a museum dedicated to Ali Pasha's rule. The city also carries centuries of silversmithing history, and the Silversmithing Museum inside the castle walls shows the filigree work that made Epirus artisans known across the Balkans.

Epirot cuisine centers on savory pies filled with wild greens and local cheese, along with fish pulled straight from the lake. Outside the city, the Vikos Gorge, among the deepest in the world, and the stone villages of Zagori sit within about 45 minutes by car, and the ancient site of Dodoni, one of Greece's oldest oracles, is a short drive southwest of town.

Ioannina suits travelers who want mountains, a genuine lake, and layered Byzantine and Ottoman history in one place, with enough packed into the city and its surroundings to fill several days on its own.