Ioannina town is the capital of Epirus prefecture, and also the largest town in the area. It has a magnificent location by the lake Pamvotis. During the Ottoman rule in the 18th century, Ioannina was considered to be a major commercial centre and one of the most important towns in Greece. The town was in its prime during the government of tyrant Ali Pasha. The Turks made him first governor of Trikala and in 1788 he ruled the town of Ioannina. Later he also governed the cities of Preveza and Parga. He was a cruel governor but he also did some good things in his time. He was killed in 1822, at the age of 82, when Turkish sultan had had enough of Ali's intention to make an independent state of his own. The Sultan's troops killed him at the monastery of Agios Pandeleimonas on the island. He was hiding and troops shot him through the ceiling from below. They cut his head off and took it to the sultan, who was only then convinced that Ali Pasha was really dead. The monastery now houses a museum of Ali Pasha and his body is buried in the mausoleum in front of his palace, in Its Kale.
The most interesting part of Ioannina is the Kastro, a massive castle which is surrounded by the city walls. I haven't seen anywhere in Greece with such well preserved walls as those in Ioannina. Kastro's streets can be a puzzle but it's easy to walk around. Inside the Kastro, is a citadel called Its Kale. This is where Ali Pasha had his palace. In the area there is also a treasury, an armoury, a church and today, the Byzantine museum. In another corner of Kastro is an old mosque, which houses the Municipal museum at present. Otherwise the Kastro area has mostly residential houses.
Ioannina town
Another attractive feature of Ioannina town is the waterfront by the lake. It is recommended that you leave your car far away from the harbour and walk this beautiful and occasionally peaceful lakefront from one end to another. Harbour area main streets Karamanli and Dionysiou are jammed with cars, at all times day or night, so walking is a much better choice. And since the parking space is limited, you won't find a place too easily. Parking can be expensive, too. It looked like an ok place to park, there where several cars already, but still you got a ticket, of 60 euros... Take your advice from Lonely Planet, too; "Ioannina has the second highest vehicle density rate in Europe, in Milan being the highest, and that parking here can be a nightmare." Especially when you start looking for the administrator to pay your ticket...
Nowadays Ioannina is still a major commercial town but also a growing university town. It's a very busy town and if you are looking for a quiet holiday, but still rich in historical and intellectual activities, my advice to you is to find your accommodation in Perama, only 4 kilometres from Ioannina town, and visit the town itself with public transport. I found Ioannina very interesting and possibilities it offered where more than sufficient. Museums alone could take days to explore, but also exploring the town is a great way to make your holiday. And if you have your own transport, it's ideal for exploring the nearby Dodoni, Vikos-Aoos National park and Pindos mountains.
Inside the Kastro
Municipal Museum of Ioannina
The lake at Ioannina is called Lake Pamvotis and may be its main attraction. It is a large lake and on its Western shore is the town of Ioannina. The town itself is picturesque and a combination of history and modern day. Most of the restaurants, cafés and parks are situated by the lake. The Information office of Ioannina is on the quay, near where the boats to the island leave. The waterfront is a pleasant place to have a walk, but you need to walk further from the loud cafés and be careful with the busy traffic.
The island in Lake Pamvotis is called simply an 'Island', Nisi. Constantly leaving boats from the Ioannina harbour will take you to explore the island and its many monasteries. It takes about 10-15 minutes to the island. This is where you get first to see the typical architecture for prefecture of Epirus and especially to see how they used to build roofs of the houses, with very thin plates of stone. Amazing! Even today they build the roofs like they used to in the last century, to keep the tradition alive. On Nisi you can easily spend hours walking the narrow stone paved alleys, visit the monasteries and see the incredible frescoes, visit the Ali Pasha museum and do shopping at the small shops, enjoy the sunset by the lake and then finally have dinner at one of the few restaurants on the island. Last boat is leaving from the island around 10 pm.
Lake Pamvotis is not a very deep lake, only some 3-5 meters deep. It used to be much bigger and it reached the little village of Perama some 4 km from Ioannina. Perama caves and its stalagmites and stalactites were formed when there used to be a lake above the cave and water dripped through the cave ceiling. Both Nisi and Perama caves are well worth visiting. Read more about the Perama caves and Ioannina town from the links below.
