Greece - Korina Miller [266]
Drinking
For Ioannina’s excellent speciality beer bars see Beer Essentials, Click here.
Frontzou Politeia ( 26510 21011; Lofos Agias Triadas; 9am-3am) Find superlative views of the city, lake and mountain opposite at this relaxed cafe 2km up on Ioannina’s western hill. Lean back in the plush, colourful couches and enjoy a cool coffee drink on a warm summer morning, or a mixed one by night.
Filistro Café ( 26510 72429; Andronikou Paleologou 20) For a splendid spot of tea or afternoon liqueur, drop in to this classic, vividly painted Kastro cafe.
Ananta ( 26510 26261; cnr Anexartisias & Stoa Labei; 9pm-3am) With its shadows and a long bar set under an upward-curving, bare stone ceiling, the Ananta smacks of a Franciscan monastery – albeit one powered by rock music and alcohol.
Byzantine Museum Cafe ( 26510 64206; Its Kale; 9pm-midnight) Up atop Its Kale, this busy place with outdoor seating offers everything from coffees to waffles with ice cream and other snacks.
Shopping
Ioannina has been known for its silverwork since the 17th century; the Center of Traditional Handcraft of Ioannina ( 26510 45221; www.kepavi.gr; Arhiepiskopou Makariou 1; 9.30am-2.30pm & 5.30-8.30pm), near the lake, brings together scores of artisans, whom you can watch as they work. The centre also has a large shop selling everything from inexpensive earrings and necklaces to elaborate and expensive silver dining sets. Everything is locally produced.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Olympic Air ( 26510 26518; www.olympicairlines.com; Kendriki Plateia) has two daily Athens flights (€99). Aegean Airlines ( 26510 64444; www.aegeanair.com; Pyrsinella 11) has one Athens flight daily (€65). Flight times change seasonally.
BUS
Domestic
From Ioannina’s bus station ( 26510 26286; Georgiou Papandreou) buses serve Igoumenitsa (€8.80, 1¼ hours, eight daily), Athens (€35.20, 6½ hours, nine daily), Konitsa (€5.60, 1¼ hours, seven daily), Thessaloniki (€28.50, 4¾ hours, six daily), Volos (€21.60, 4½ hours, three daily) and Metsovo (€5.30, one hour, four daily). There are two buses daily to Trikala (€13.10, 2¼ hours) and Kozani (€20, 2½ hours), and one daily in summer to Parga (€11, 1½ hours). Buses also serve Arta (€6.40, 1¼ hours, seven daily) and Patra (€20.40, 3½ hours, two daily), along with services to Preveza (€9.30, two hours, six daily) and Dodoni.
International
From Ioannina buses reach the border post of Kakavia (€5.60, one hour, nine daily) for Albania.
Getting Around
Ioannina airport is 5km northwest on the Perama road; take Bus 7 (every 20 minutes, from the clock tower).
Budget Rent a Car ( /fax 26510 43901; Dodonis 109) is at the airport, as is Auto Union Car Rental ( /fax 25610 67751; Dodonis 66), which offers good deals.
Taxis ( 26510 46777) wait near Plateia Pyrrou and the lake.
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AROUND IOANNINA
The Island Το Νησ
Ioannina’s closest getaway, the Island (To Nisi) lies just opposite in Lake Pamvotis. The Island’s whitewashed village, built in the 17th century by refugees from Peloponnesian Mani, has around 300 permanent residents (among them four school kids). Several important monasteries decorated with very unusual frescoes are found here, plus a couple of good fish tavernas. The old, white-plastered houses have lovely flower gardens and shutters, and silver shops also exist.
The Island was most notably the place where the last act unfolded in the long saga of Ali Pasha, the Albanian warlord who ruled Ioannina in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Ali’s fickle allegiances and brazen challenge to Ottoman authority caused the Sultan to take out the ‘Lion of Ioannina’ in 1822. Perfidiously assured of a pardon, the elderly Ali Pasha withdrew with his guard to Moni Pandeleïmonos on the Island – only to be trapped and liquidated by Ottoman troops.