The prefecture of Kastoria is a mountainous area in north-west Greece, where lofty peaks descend into the still waters of mountain lakes. Mountain climbing is available on Mts Gramos and Vitsi and rowing and sailing is popular on the lake. The town of Kastoria is set upon an isthmus, reaching into Lake Orestiada. It has been a prosperous town for four centuries and this is reflected in the stately traditional mansions, with their enclosed balconies and rich interiors, which are adorned with intricate woodcarvings and beautiful wall paintings. The wealth of this area came from fur production which led to the local extinction of the beaver in the nineteenth century and unfortunately this unpleasant trade continues to this day. The lake is home to amphibians, turtles and of course birds.

25km from Kastoria a village called Nostimo houses a natural wonder. Part of the local school has been converted to house a park of petrified tree trunks and inside a classroom one can marvel at the amazingly preserved prehistoric marine and land animal fossils.

More recent history abounds in the form of the many Byzantine churches, including the three-aisled Church of St Stephen in Kastoria and the church of St George at Omorphocclesia.

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