Last week I popped to Ioannina for work. It was for 24 hours, but as always with my work trips I managed to sneak in some hours to explore the city. Ioannina is located in North Western Greece in the region of Epirus. The city’s history is traced to antiquity but came to a more prominent status during the Middle Ages. After the 4th Crusade in 1204 it became the center of Despotate of Epirus. Ioannina surrendered to the Ottomans in 1430 and until 1868 was the base of the Pashalik of Yanina. Ioannina became a part of the Greek State in 1913 after the first Balkan War. You can find more information about the city’s rich history on Wikipedia.
The lake of Ioannina (Pamvotida)
The “star” of the city is the lake. Ioannina is built on the western shore of lake Pamvotida also known as Ioannina lake. There is also an island in the lake where you can get with boats. The lakeside walk along the castle walls is one of the activities I recommend on taking.
The castle of Ioannina
In the eastern part of the city on a small peninsula lays the city’s castle. The Byzantines built the castle in the 11th century but was renovated by Ali Pasha in the 18th century. The castle has two citadels worth visiting. The southern one, Its Kale, houses the Byzantine Museum, the Fetiye Mosque, Ali Pasha’s tomb, and the Silversmith museum.
The northern one houses the Aslan Pasha mosque (now a municipal museum) as well as his tomb. Needless to say, I visited both during my stay in the city. The views from the citadels towards the lake are breathtaking.
The modern city of Ioannina
I focused on exploring the castle but did also walk around the modern city of Ioannina. One street I quite liked is Soutsou, which is a pedestrian street. It has many cute houses with colored doors, some of which were already decked out for Christmas.
Where to eat in Ioannina
This couldn’t be a proper guide if I didn’t include restaurant suggestions would be. Tripadvisor has some pretty neat suggestions on where to eat. We ended up dining at Metsovitiki Folia right on the central street of the city. It has a lean menu with a few appetizers and variations on Kontosouvli (means short skewer). We tried all the versions: chicken, pork, lamb and all were delicious. Also, a must is the melted Metsovone cheese.
For desserts I wholeheartedly recommend Mantzios. It’s further from the city center, but it was near our hotel and we wanted to eat something before hitting the road. The desserts were mouthwatering but we opted for a baguette, which was very tasty!
When to visit & Where to stay in Ioannina
For me the best time to visit is late spring and summer. The weather is cooler than Athens but more humid. On one of my early posts in this blog I’ve documented my road trip in the area which included Ioannina as well. Click though to see how the city looks in summertime.
I loved seeing the city in the fall, with all the leaves turned to yellow. So if you like fall weather and excursions then definitely add Ioannina to your list. Apart from the city, the region of Zagorochoria is very beautiful, as is Metsovo.
During my trip I stayed at The Grand Serai hotel. It is a far cry from the minimal hotels I usually stay at, but it was very pleasant to stay. The breakfast was delicious and there were so many options to choose from. There were also mini crepes!
I'm Anna and this is my lifestyle and travel blog! 
beautiful photos!