Ioannina is a fascinating place, the largest city in the region yet as beautiful as an Italian lakeside town with its position on the shores of Lake Pamvotida. The city and region are well known as the original producers of Feta cheese.
The region is quite mountainous and some great views are to be had by those taking a hire car up into the range that forms the background to the lake. Elsewhere the Turkish influence from Ottoman days is evident in the beautiful silverware and hookahs sold by local craft shops.
Ioannina Mini Guide
Ioannina is in the north west of Greece and this large city is located in Epirus and more than one hundred thousand people live there.
The city is built around Lake Pamvotis but it is close to the sea as well and so with a hire car there are many nice places to go to for a walk or a picnic.
You are also not far from the second city of Thessaloniki, which is well worth visiting.
The city has a long history having been founded in the Byzantine era and it was a refuge for wealthy families after the demise of Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor Justinian is still depicted on the city emblem.
In later years Ioannina took on an important role as it was the centre of the Greek Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today the city is known for having a large university and a thriving student population. The city is attractive to tourists as with most of Greece it has an appealing climate and plenty of sunshine.
Although temperatures are not usually too hot they can get quite severe in summer when air conditioning in your vehicle is recommended.
Winters are usually mild but the lowest ever temperature recorded was -13 degrees Celsius.
Some of the landmarks which are worth seeing in Ioannina are the little island on the lake which can be reached by regular passenger ferries. It has an interesting history which is worth discovering.
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