REGION OF WESTERN MACEDONIA

Western Macedonia possesses a mystique that visitors are sure to find alluring. Its four Regional Units – the border regions of Kastoria and Florina as well as Kozani and Grevena – boast a wealth of impressive changes in scenery year-round, creating a unique tapestry that formed the backdrop for this crossroads of people and cultures throughout history. Indeed, it is probably the most ‘Balkan’ of all of Greece’s regions.

As the country’s only Region without a coastline, it is dominated by imposing mountain ranges and basins. One of its most iconic images is the island of Aghios Achilleios in Lake Prespa. Its mountain ranges separate Western Macedonia from the neighbouring Regions, those of Epirus to the west, Central Macedonia to the east and Thessaly to the south. The region is blessed with truly striking lakes in Kastoria and Prespes. In the winter, the wet, misty landscape appears like a movie scene, an aspect that filmmaker Theodoros Angelopoulos made good use of in his iconic film “The Suspended Step of the Stork”, while in spring and summer, the region’s natural wealth teems with biodiversity.

Western Macedonia is far removed from tourist “commercialisation”; it is an authentic and unadulterated destination and bastion of resistance to conformity. That’s why visitors to the Region are in for unparalleled “rugged” natural beauty, with opportunities to sample a feast of sounds, aromas and flavours. The locals love their homeland and cultivate it with respect; Amynteo, for example, is home to some of Greece’s finest vineyards, while Prespes is renowned for its beans, Florina is known for its local variety of pepper, Kozani produces the world-famous Greek red saffron and Velvendos has a long tradition in stone fruit cultivation. The region has a time-honoured tradition of livestock breeding rooted in its Vlach populations, producing exceptional meats, milks and P.D.O. cheeses such as anevato and batzos from Grevena.

Western Macedonian cuisine features a rich tradition and a plethora of exceptional home-grown raw materials. The local flavours reflect the region’s agricultural heritage, from traditional recipes such as Florina Peppers and dolmades through to smoked trout and cheeses.

The region’s dishes, such as gizlemopita (a pie with ground meat, leek and egg noodles) from Kozani, mushroom soup from Grevena, keftedes with makali (a red sauce with a flour base) and fried grivadi (a trout recipe) from Kastoria, and various creations with peppers and beans from Florina, are tangible representations of the local agricultural tradition and wealth.

Lovers of sweets are sure to be satisfied by the wide variety of local confections, which include spoon sweets, syrupy sweets and marmalades.