Ioannina

Set atop a 100-metre cliff overlooking the Lake Pamvotida, the capital of Epirus is an old town with an intriguing history. The city gained prominence in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as the seat of an almost independent state ruled by Ali Pasha of Tepeleni, who successfully rebelled against the central government of the Ottoman Empire, and kept fighting until the end, but was killed by Ottoman soldiers during the siege of his fortress in January 1822, and his head cut off to be sent to Sultan Mahmud II. His grave still stands into the ancient citadel (the Kastro) and has became a popular tourist attraction.
Ioannina was also a significant trade center, hosting a Greek-speaking Jewish community observing their own tradition and religious rituals. They were neither Ashkenazi, nor Sephardic, but rather indigenous Jews of Greece who have lived on Greek soil for over 2,300 years. At the beginning of the 20th century these Hellenized Jews, known as "Romaniotes" immigrated to the US, mostly to the Lower East Side of New York City, where their little synagogue in Broome St. has remained unchanged from 1927. In March 1944, the Jewish Community of Ioannina was rounded up and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Today the community numbers fewer than 50 members, most of them elderly.

• From Athens by air (45 min), by bus (6 hr, 430 km), by car (4.5 hr).
• From Thessaloniki by bus (3.5 hr) or by car (2.5 hr).
• From Albania via Kakavia, it takes about an hour from the border crossing.
• From Gjirokastër by bus (4h).

The city is small enough to travel through via foot.

• CastleThe old town surrounded by tall defensive walls overhanging the lake Pamvotida.

• Archaeological Museum

  address: 6, "25 Martiou" Square
  It presents many of the findings from the excavations at Dodona area

• Municipal Ethnographic Museum of Ioannina

  address: 8, Noutsou Str
  Housed in the Mosque of Ali Pasha. The museum collections include craft of local silversmiths, guns, Epirote costumes, rugs and tapestries. The mosque dates from 1618 and still retains its decoration as well as a tall mihrab pointing towards Mecca

• Byzantine MuseumCollections of sculptures, icons and other artifacts retrieved from ruined churches and monasteries in Epirus countryside and housed in the inner fortress (Turkish: İçkale), where Ali Pasha built his palace.

• Fethiye MosqueThe graves of Ali Pasha and his first wife are located inside the mosque.

• Islet of IoanninaIt is the only inhabited islet in the lake Pamvotida , with around 200 inhabitants. Green and peaceful, dotted with Byzantine monasteries, the islet can be reached by a 20-minute boat ride from Ioannina . Its main attraction is the 16th-century Pandelimonos Monastery, now the Ali Pasha Museum, where the pasha was killed on January 17, 1822.

At the bus station there are lockers where you can leave your luggage (1€)
The lake and castle are 10 minutes away from the station.

Ioannina is well known for its production of hand-made silver crafts. There are about 90 workshops in the city. Prices are quite high but can drop considerably as vendors expect a bit of bargaining.

• Toros Steakhouse

• Stoa Louli

  phone: +30 2651 071322
  address: 78, Anexartisias St.

• Mystagogia

  phone: +30 26510 65325, +30 6977 748479 (mobile), +30 6972 871031 (mobile)
  address: 44, Koundouriotou St.

• Nousia

  address: 1, "Konstantinou Karamanli" Str

• Fysa roufa

  phone: +302561026262
  address: Averof, Ioannina 454 44, Greece

Budget

• Limnopoula Camping

  phone: +30 26510 25265
  address: 10, "Konstantinou Kanari" Str
  Owned by Ioannina Nautical Club

• Agapi Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 27139
  address: 6, Tsirigoti Str
  1-star hotel

• Paradissos Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 74124, +30 26510 25365
  address: 15, "21st Fevrouariou" Str
  1-star hotel. 22 rooms

• Hermes Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 75992
  address: 2, Sina & Tsirigoti Str
  1-star hotel

• El Greco Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 30726
  address: 8, Tsirigoti Str
  Old hotel built in 1979

• Elpis Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 26209, +30 6975-521573 (Mobile)
  address: 10, Neoptolemou Str
  1-star hotel

• Dioni Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 27032, +30 26510 27864
  address: 10, Tsirigoti Str
  2-star hotel built in 1999 and renovated in 2007

• Tourist Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 26443, +30 26510 25070
  address: 18, Koleti Str
  2-star hotel built in 1957 and renovated in 2001

• Egnatia Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 25667, +30 26510 24886
  address: 20, Aravantinou & Dagkli Str
  2-star hotel built in 1970 and renovated in 2005

• Bretannia Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 26380, +30 26510 25174, +30 26510 29396
  address: 11A, Dimokratias Square
  2-star hotel built in 1985 and renovated in 2006

• Esperia Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 24111, +30 26510 27682,
  address: 3, Kaplani Str
  2-star hotel

• Ke.Kop Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 20188, +30 26510 32037
  address: 3, Acheronta Str
  2-star hotel

Mid-range

• Alexios Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 24003, +30 26510 70030, +30 26510 77444
  address: 14, Poukevil & Karaiskaki Str
  2-star hotel built in 1967 and renovated in 2003

• Astoria Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 20755, +30 26510 25438, +30 6937 207 474 (Mobile)
  address: 2, Paraskevopoulou & Averof Str
  2-star hotel. 16 A/C double, bath or shower.

• Byzantio Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 40453
  address: Polytexneio Square
  €40 gets you a room with a balcony and a king size bed with breakfast for 2 people. It's approximately 25 min away from the city centre on foot. Free Wi-Fi.

• Filyra Hotel Apartments,

  phone: +30 26510 83560, +30 6932 601240 (Mobile)
  address: 18, Andronikou Paleologou Str
  2-star hotel

• Hagiati Traditional lodge

  phone: +30 26510 37570, +30 6940 815001 (Mobile)
  address: 11, Stratigopoulou Str

• Kastro Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 22866
  address: 57, Andronikou Paleologou

• Palladion Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 25856
  address: 1, Noti Botsari & 28th October Str
  3-star hotel, built in 1957, renovated in 2001

• Siarava Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 30820
  address: 20, Garivaldi St

Splurge

• Du Lac Hotel & Congress Center

  phone: +30 26510 59100
  address: Akti Miaouli & Ikkou Str
  5-star hotel built in 1998 and renovated in 2011

• Epirus Palace & Congress Center

  phone: +30 26510 93555
  address: 7th km of Ioannina - Athens National Road
  5-star hotel built in 1999 and renovated in 2008

• Grand Serai Congress & SPA Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 90550
  address: 33, Dodonis Avenue
  5-star hotel built in 2007

• Politia Traditional Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 22235
  address: 109, Anexartisias Str
  4-star hotel built in 1871, renovated 2000

• Archontariki Traditional Guesthouse

  phone: +30 26510 78010, +30 26510 78020
  address: 50, Zalokosta St
  4-star

• Kentrikon Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 71771, +30 6974-860378 (Mobile)
  address: 5A, Koletti Str
  4-star hotel

• Metropolis Hotel

  phone: +30 26510 30004
  address: 33, Averof Str
  4-star hotel built in 1934, renovated in 2012

Many hotels and bars have wifi connections or you can use Instabridge application for finding available wifi connections.

• Perama CaveA show cave just 4 km from Ioannina.

• Dodonaarchaeological site of the oldest Hellenic oracle, 25 min away by car. The well preserved theater is a must-see and hosts theatrical performances. It was built in the 3rd century B.C., during the reign of Pyrrhus, and was destroyed by the Roman consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus, in 167 B.C. Under Roman rule, it was restored and turned into an arena.

• Zagoriimpressive landscape with high mountains, dense barely inhabited forests and impressive gorges and the wild beauty of the Zagoria mountain villages

• Kipina MonasteryBeautiful monastery build into the rocks

• Gjirokastër - A town and a UNESCO world heritage site in Southern Albania.
• Arta village
• Konitsa
• Metsovo
• Corfu island