Thesprotia: River, Wetlands and Ancient History

Thesprotia combines mountain landscapes with coastal scenery. The Kalamas, also known as the Thyamis, crosses the region and flows into the Ionian Sea. Ancient settlements, monasteries, museums and ecologically significant wetlands offer a range of possible focuses for your stay. If you are looking for a holiday rental, you can start by asking whether you would most like to explore landscapes and nature, archaeological history or culture.

River Landscapes and Wetlands

Lake Kalodiki is a water-lily lake and also a wetland of high ecological significance in Thesprotia. Hotkova, near Krystallopigi, is also a wetland of high ecological significance. Another natural feature is the Acheron ecosystem in the municipality of Souli, which belongs to the Natura 2000 network. Each of these descriptions highlights a different aspect: Lake Kalodiki is characterised by its water lilies, while Hotkova and the Acheron ecosystem are described as ecologically significant areas. For travellers who want to include nature in their holiday plans, these places offer specific points of interest without representing the same type of landscape.

Ancient Sites with Different Histories

Elea was the first capital of ancient Thesprotia and the seat of the Eleatic Thesprotians tribe. It was continuously inhabited from 360 BC to the Hellenistic period. The archaeological site of Elea opened to visitors after many years of improvement work. The place is therefore associated with an early political history and a long period of settlement.

Gitana was the political centre and seat of the Thesprotian League from its founding in the second half of the 4th century BC until the Roman conquest in 167 BC. Dymokastro, meanwhile, is a fortified coastal settlement south of Karavostasi near Perdika. The ruins are tentatively identified as ancient Elina. The site covers 22 hectares and is divided into three sectors on successive terraces of the hill; several rings of fortifications surround it. Visitors comparing ancient sites will find different aspects here: the political role of Gitana, the early capital’s history in Elea, and the spatial layout of a fortified settlement in Dymokastro.

Monastic Art and Museums

The Holy Monastery of the Dormition of Giromeri was founded in the early 14th century, between 1310 and 1320, and was one of Epirus’s most important monastic centres. It lies on the southwestern slope of the Farmakovouni mountain range, north of Filiates and near the settlement of Giromeri. The katholikon features several layers of art history: Byzantine frescoes from the 16th century, secular frescoes from the 17th century and a gilded templon from the 19th century. These elements from different periods give the monastery its own cultural significance.

In Igoumenitsa, the permanent exhibition of the Archaeological Museum, “Thesprotian Land,” covers a period from the Middle Paleolithic, dated to 100,000 BC, to Ottoman rule in the 19th century AD. Five thematic sections organise the exhibition: an archaeological and historical overview, settlements of the historical period, public life, private life and burial customs. The Folklore Museum of Margariti is housed in a historic building dating from 1893 and contains objects from the pre-industrial era. Archaeological periods and thematic organisation, on the one hand, and everyday objects from a pre-industrial era, on the other, offer different cultural interests.

Local Products and an Annual Bazaar

Local shops along Igoumenitsa’s central pedestrian street offer olives, olive oil, tsipouro, dairy products and sausages. This range includes food products and a distilled spirit, offering another local perspective for your visit. The Lamvovo Bazaar in Paramythia takes place every year in October.

When looking for a holiday rental in Thesprotia, your preferred focus can be a starting point: wetlands and river landscapes, for example, or archaeological history, monastic art, or museums and bazaars. The places and subjects vary, so you can choose where to stay based on the experiences that matter most to you on your trip.

Other places to help you find your bearings: Plataria Thesprotia, Syvota, Vasilikos, Parapotamos, Dilofo, Glyki, Grekochori, Neraida, Faskomilia, Kastri and Sagiada.

For the wider travel overview: Epirus.