Things to Do in Ioannina

Ioannina is one of Greece's highest cities at 520 metres elevation, nestled in the Epirus region in the northwest Pindus Mountains.

The city's Kastro (fortress) was built by the Ottomans in the 1600s and remains one of the best-preserved fortified medieval towns in Greece.

Lake Pamvotida, which surrounds Ioannina's old town, is home to Nissi island, accessible by small boats, where you can visit the Monastery of Philanthropinon.

Ali Pasha, the legendary Ottoman warlord, ruled Ioannina as a semi-independent realm in the early 1800s before his defeat and execution in 1822.

Ioannina has a strong silversmithing tradition dating back centuries—the narrow streets of the Kastro still host workshops producing traditional filigree jewellery.

The city was a major centre of the Enlightenment during Ottoman rule, with a renowned school that educated many Greek intellectuals who later led the independence movement.