Ioannina (Giannina) is the capital of Epirus, the mountainous region of north-western Greece on the Albanian border. It lies about 500 metres above sea level on the western shore of Lake Pamvotida, surrounded by mountains that snow covers in winter. With about 65,000 inhabitants it is a lively university city, with one of Greece's loveliest Ottoman old towns and an atmosphere unlike the rest of the country, more Balkan and mountain-bred. It is also the ideal base for exploring Zagori and the Vikos gorge, among Europe's most spectacular landscapes.
History
The city was founded in the Byzantine era, probably in the 6th century, and fortified in the 11th. In 1430 it surrendered to the Ottomans in exchange for broad privileges, and for centuries it was a centre of trade and Greek culture, with famous schools. Its most celebrated period is linked to Ali Pasha of Tepelena, who ruled Epirus from 1788 to 1822 as an almost independent sovereign: ambitious, cruel and shrewd, he dealt with Napoleon and the British and made Ioannina one of the richest cities in the Balkans. Lord Byron visited him and left a portrait in his writings. Having rebelled against the sultan, he was besieged and killed in 1822 on the lake island. Ioannina became part of Greece in 1913, after the Balkan Wars.
The city also had an ancient Greek-speaking Romaniote Jewish community, present for centuries before the Sephardim arrived, almost entirely deported in 1944; the synagogue in the castle keeps its memory alive.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Castle (Kastro) | The fortified citadel on the lake, still inhabited, with walls, lanes and mosques |
| Its Kale | Ali Pasha's inner citadel, with the Fethiye mosque, the pasha's tomb and the Byzantine Museum |
| Aslan Pasha mosque | A 17th-century mosque on the lake, now the Municipal Museum with objects of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities |
| Lake island (Nisi) | A car-free fishing village, with frescoed monasteries and the house where Ali Pasha was killed |
| Silversmithing Museum | The tradition of Epirote gold- and silversmiths, in a castle bastion |
| Archaeological Museum | Finds from Dodona, including the lead tablets with questions to the oracle |
| Perama cave | A cave with stalactites and stalagmites 4 km from the city |
| Lakefront | A tree-lined promenade with cafés and tavernas |
The lake and the island
Lake Pamvotida is the centre of Ioannina's life: its shores are a long park with cafés and tavernas, and in summer people row and kayak. Small boats leave the jetty every half hour for the island (Nisi), a few minutes away: a car-free village of stone houses with little shops, tavernas serving trout, crayfish and, for the bold, frogs' legs, and six Byzantine monasteries, some with 16th-century frescoes. At the monastery of Agios Panteleimonas a small museum recounts Ali Pasha's last days, with bullet holes still visible in the floor.
Silversmiths and craftsmen
Ioannina has been famous for centuries for working silver and gold: craftsmen from Kalarrytes and Syrrako, mountain villages of Epirus, worked for Ottoman courts and churches across the region. The centre still has many workshops and shops selling filigree, jewellery and religious objects. The Silversmithing Museum in the castle tells their story.
Food
Epirote cooking is mountain cooking, rich and hearty. The specialities are pites, savoury pies of paper-thin filo filled with wild greens, cheese, meat, leeks or pumpkin, made in dozens of variations. The lake supplies trout, eels and crayfish; the pastures provide lamb, kid and cheeses such as feta and smoked metsovone. Among the sweets, Ioannina baklava and the local bougatsa. River trout and Zitsa wine, a sparkling white, complete the picture. See Greek cuisine.
Ioannina and Italy
Epirus was the main front of the Greco-Italian War of 1940-1941: the Italian army, advancing from Albania on 28 October 1940, was halted in the Epirote mountains and driven back by Greek troops, an episode Greeks remember with pride on "Ochi Day". Today the links are mainly about travel: the port of Igoumenitsa, about an hour from Ioannina, has daily ferries to Bari, Brindisi, Ancona and Venice, and many travellers cross Epirus on their way into Greece. See ferries from Italy.
University and evenings
The University of Ioannina, with thousands of students, keeps the city young and lively: the centre around Pyrrou Square and the streets running down to the castle is full of cafés, bookshops, bars and tsipouradika, busy until late even in winter. In summer life moves to the lakefront, where people dine outdoors watching the lights of the island. Ioannina is also a festival city, with concerts and shows in its open-air theatre and, in August, the traditional festivals of the Zagori villages, with Epirote clarinet and violin music.
Getting there
| Transport | Details |
|---|---|
| Plane | Ioannina airport (IOA), with flights from Athens |
| Ferry | From Italy to Igoumenitsa, then an hour on the Egnatia motorway |
| Car | Egnatia Odos from Igoumenitsa and Thessaloniki, Ionia Odos from Patras and Athens (about 4.5 hours) |
| Bus | KTEL to Athens, Thessaloniki, Igoumenitsa and the villages |
Day trips
| Destination | Distance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dodona | 22 km | Greece's oldest oracle, dedicated to Zeus, with a large theatre |
| Zagori and Vikos gorge | 30-50 km | 46 stone villages, arched bridges and one of the world's deepest gorges; UNESCO cultural landscape since 2023 |
| Metsovo | 55 km | A mountain village with Vlach traditions, cheeses and an art museum |
| Konitsa | 65 km | The stone bridge over the Aoos and rafting |
| Parga and the coast | 110 km | The Ionian Sea, with beaches and villages |
See places of myth for Dodona.
Tips
- Winter is cold and fog over the lake is common: the season for pies and fireplaces.
- Spring and autumn are ideal for hiking in Zagori.
- Explore the castle on foot, in the morning or at sunset, when the light on the lake is loveliest.
See also Epirus and Greek cities.