Kastoria - Architecture

Kastoria, built amphitheatrically around the enchanting Lake Orestiada, is one of Greece's most impressive architectural treasures and a living architectural museum. The city is renowned for its unique architecture, which reflects its economic and cultural prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries, when fur trading made it a commercial and cultural center of the Balkans.

Visitors can wander through the picturesque cobblestone streets of the old town, where the famous mansions of Kastoria stand out. These unique examples of traditional Macedonian architecture are distinguished by their stone walls, wooden "sachnisi" (protruding balconies), interior frescoes, and decorative elements that reveal the influence of both the East and the West.

Equally significant are the Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments of the city. Over 70 Byzantine churches with impressive frescoes and simple architectural lines are scattered throughout Kastoria, imparting a sense of mysticism and historical continuity.

Around the lake, the neoclassical and traditional houses blend harmoniously with the natural landscape, creating images of unparalleled aesthetic beauty. The architecture of Kastoria, combined with its unmatched natural beauty, makes the city a destination that fascinates and transports visitors through time.