Greece - Korina Miller [212]
Doupiani House (Map; 24320 75326; www.doupianihouse.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast €40/50/60; ) Incomparably set just outside the village, 500m from the town square. The spotless and balconied rooms are tastefully furnished, and breakfast is served on a garden terrace overlooking the village and rocks. Hosts Thanasis and Toula are attentive and full of tips for exploring the village and monasteries.
Also recommended:
Boufidis Camping (Map; /fax 24320 24802; camp sites per adult/tent €6/3; ) More basic than Vrachos Camping, but location and pool bar redeem it.
Hotel Kastraki (Map; 24320 75336; fax 24320 75335; s/d incl breakfast from €40/50) Handsome lodging, often full with groups.
Eating
Taverna Paradisos (Map; 24320 22723; mains €4-7.50) Look for outstanding traditional meals at the roomy Paradisos, along with spectacular views of the Meteora from the large terrace. Grilled lamb and mousakas are superb, along with tasty mezedhes and a choice of good Greek wines. A recent Greek cuisine award, noting the restaurant’s fresh and traditional ingredients, is a source of pride to owner-cook Koula.
Taverna Gardenia (Map; 24320 22504; mains €4-8) Gardenia gets good marks locally for tasty taverna standards, such as lamb grills and stuffed tomatoes and peppers. Look for the patio shaded by two plane trees, just 20m south of the big church on the square.
Taverna Tou Zioga (Map; 24320 22286; mains €5-9) This indoor eatery is more upscale than most, but still reasonable, with mayirefta dishes, plus meaty standards such as souvlaki, grilled pork chops and Greek salad for a modest €4.50.
Taverna Meteora Vavitsos (Map; 24230 22285; mains €6-9) Just opposite Hotel Kastraki, this popular meat-and-more-meat taverna is set back in a leafy brick terrace, and features excellent lamb and pork grills, souvlakia and pasta dishes, always in hearty portions.
Entertainment
ABG Café-Bar (Map; 24320 75627; drinks & snacks €2-5) Kastraki’s only nightspot is just past the turn-off to the Meteora. This combination jazz bar and gelateria has dark-red terrace walls, a mellow addition to low-key Kastraki.
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Northern Greece
Βóρεια Ελλδα
* * *
MACEDONIA ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ
THESSALONIKI ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ
AROUND THESSALONIKI
HALKIDIKI ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗ
KAVALA ΚΑΒΑΛΑ
PELLA ΠΕΛΛΑ
LITOHORO ΛΙΤΌΧΩΡΟ
AROUND LITOHORO
VERIA ΒΕΡΟΙΑ
VERGINA ΒΕΡΓΙΝΑ
EDESSA ΕΔΕΣΣΑ
FLORINA ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑ
PRESPA LAKES ΛΙΜΝΕΣ ΠΡΕΣΠΩΝ
KASTORIA ΚΑΣΤΟΡΙΑ
THRACE ΘΡΑΚΗ
XANTHI ΞΑΝΘΗ
AROUND XANTHI
KOMOTINI ΚΟΜΟΤΗΝΗ
ALEXANDROUPOLI ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΠΟΛΗ
EVROS DELTA ΔΕΛΤΑ ΕΒΡΟΥ
ALEXANDROUPOLI TO SOUFLI ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥΠΟΛΗ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΟΥΦΛΙ
DIDYMOTIHO ΔΙΔΥΜΟΤΕΙΧΟ
ORESTIADA ΟΡΕΣΤΙΑΔΑ
AROUND ORESTIADA
EPIROS ΗΠΕΙΡΟΣ
METSOVO ΜΕΤΣΟΒΟ
IOANNINA ΙΩΑΝΝΙΝΑ
AROUND IOANNINA
THE ZAGOROHORIA ΤΑ ΖΑΓΟΡΟΧΩΡΙΑ
KONITSA ΚΟΝΙΤΣΑ
AROUND KONITSA
PREVEZA ΠΡΕΒΕΖΑ
AROUND PREVEZA
PARGA ΠΑΡΓΑ
AROUND PARGA
IGOUMENITSA ΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΙΤΣΑ
* * *
Greece’s vast and varied north is unmatched for geographical, cultural and even gustatory diversity. Here, great stretches of mountains, lakes, forest and coastline remain to be discovered. Comprising terrain stretching from the azure Ionian Sea across the rugged Epirot mountains, through Macedonia’s lakes and vineyards and across the Thracian plain to the Turkish border, the north offers something for everyone, from culture and urban sophistication to swimming, hiking and birdwatching.
The tangible reminders of a history both triumphant and traumatic remain scattered throughout northern Greece. Although the region has only been part of Greece since the Balkans were carved up in the 1912–13 Balkan Wars, it’s hardly a young territory: Macedonians, Illyrians, Thracians and Romans all ruled in ancient times, while the Byzantines, Slavs and Turks later held sway for