FLORINA

General Information

The prefecture of Florina, situated on the northwesternmost corner of Greece, covers the northwestern part of western Macedonia, including a large part of both the two lakes placed along the borderline with Albania, the Megali (large) Prespa and the Mikri (small) Prespa. These two lakes are both enchanting, their unsurpassed beauty rivaled only by the sense of harmony and tranquility that emanates from their calm waters. Florina is an endless verdurous landscape, decorated by the mountains and the lakes which create harmonious contrasts. Near Pisoderi, location of the skiing resort, there are also two organized beaches, one on the lake Mikri Prespa and another on the lake Vegoritida. Its population is small, numbering no more than 54768 residents, while its extent covers 1924 sq.km.     

History - Culture

As proven by numerous archaeological findings on various sites, the region has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It emerges on the historical scene during the classical period when king Arraveos of Florina, perhaps of Corinthian origin, challenged king Perdikkas of Macedonia and his Spartan allies. Findings dating back to the Bronze Age have been discovered in the village of Armenochori and a cemetery of the Iron Age is close to Aghios Panteleimonas. Remains of an ancient city, probably Herakleia the Lyggistiki built by Philip V of Macedonia, are situated on the south bank of Floriniotikos river, close to the modern city of Florina. The latter city is considered to be built on the site of the Byzantine city of Chloros. Since the early 15th century, Ottoman Turks used this region as a military base to unleash many of their attacks on the Macedonian lands, until they destroyed all that had remained of the writhing Byzantine Empire. This resulted to the domination of Muslims over the Christians, mostly in the late 17th century. Accordingly, the Christian population suffered series of  persecutions all through this period and well into the 18th century. Upon the uprising of the revolution (1821-23), the region came under the reign of terror. The failure of the rebels in the city of Naoussa, which led to its destruction and the massacre of its people, forced the people of Florina to lay down their arms. Following the period of Bulgarian occupation, the region was finally liberated in November 1912, rejoining the Greek nation after a long and hard struggle for freedom.

Sights

This amazing natural environment features countless landscapes of unique beauty. The capital city of Florina resembles a picturesque town, its tiled houses lying in a green-clad valley adorned with wild chestnut trees. There is a zoo, the objective of which is the preservation of the fauna of Northern Greece, and thus animals sought by hunters as game are bred systematically. This is done on the hill of Aghios Panteleimonas, where deer, hares, roes, wild boars, and many more beasts live free. Close to Amyntaio, there is the village of Aghios Panteleimonas, placed gracefully beside the lake Vegoritida. The cemetery, dating back to the early Iron Age, is worth visiting. In Antartiko, visitors can swim in the Prespes lakes, at an altitude of 850m above sea level. There is also the church of Aghios Athanasios, bearing a wood-carved icon stand of the 19th century. The region is abound with churches, and the ones in the villages of Vevi and Meliti definitely are worth visiting. The village of Nymphaio is a most beautiful winter mountain resort, and on the mountainous Pisoderi, apart from the noted ski resort, there is the historical Byzantine church of Aghia Paraskevi. In 1904 the head of Pavlos Melas, great figure of the struggle for freedom that marked the region in the early 20th century, was put to rest here. The monastery of Aghia Triada in the same area was built in 1050, and served as a refuge and a base of operations for the Macedonian fighters from 1900 to 1908. But, though all these sites are well worth attention, it is the renowned lakes, the Large and the Small Prespa, which are a sight in themselves. Located on a plateau at 850m above sea level, they have considerable depth, which reaches 50m. A narrow strip of land separates the two lakes from eachother. The whole area is marked as a National Park where many species of rare birds find refuge. Psarades (fishermen) of Large Prespa, the last village before reaching the borderline, is a most impressive settlement with houses traditionally built with wood and stone, offering a journey into the past within a dreamy environment.

Entertainment-Sports-Shopping

Due to the existence of the lake beaches of Prespes and of the ski resort in Pisoderi, the region attracts many visitors both in the summer and winter time as well. The tourist infrastructure of the prefecture has responded accordingly, offering more than adequate services, especially in Florina and Amyntaio. There are fine hotels, small inns, restaurants, taverns, coffee shops, cinemas, bars and night clubs, while in Prespes, Nymphaio and Amyntaio there are plenty and well-supplied shopping places. In fact, visitors can find sweets, strawberries, salted fish and wine, while they should not leave without tasting some of the local dishes such as fried fish, bouillabaisse and pies. Besides, there are many local festivities held throughout the region and they can be a perfect entertainment alternative. In the field of sports, there are basketball and volleyball courts, football fields and gyms in Florina, and, of course, the perfectly organized ski resort of Vigla-Pisoderi. The mountainous landscape offers countless trekking routes, as well as challenging cliffsides for mountain climbers.

Access

There are daily bus services from Athens and Thessaloniki. Throughout the year, trains daily depart from Athens-Piraeus to Platy and from there to Florina.

Connections

Frequent bus services link Florina, Edessa, Kozani and Kastoria while there are daily bus services from Amyntaio to Kastoria.

Trains departing from Platy link Florina, Amyntaio, Edessa, Naoussa, Veria, Alexandria (prefecture of Imathia) and Thessaloniki. On a daily basis, there is also a frequent train connection between Amyntaio and Kozani.

Museums

In Florina there is the Archaeological Museum, the Folk Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Besides, within the zoo, there is a Fauna Museum where stuffed fowls and animals are exhibited. In Nymphaio, there is a Folk Art Museum.

Alternative Tourism

Ecotourism, birdwatching, spiritual, congressional, historical, sporting (ski, mountain climbing, mountain bike, jeep safari, horse riding, canoe, trekking).

Useful Telephone Numbers:

FLORINA AREA CODE:  23850-

POLICE STATION: 23850-45690

POST OFFICE: 23850-22236

TAXI STATION: 23850-22800, 23100, 22700, 23800

HOSPITAL: 23850-22555

BUS STATION: 23850-22430