Discover Kastania

Kastania lies at an elevation of 880 meters on the western foothills of 1,750-meter Mount Gyftissa. Konitsa is 28.7 kilometers away; it is worth checking the appropriate route for your specific journey. Stone bridges, churches and historic buildings are central to the village. Together, they reveal a settlement whose districts are connected by bridges and whose sacred buildings shape the village center and its surroundings.

Stone bridges and their history

The four single-arch stone bridges are the Gkalina Bridge (1936), the Rachi Bridge (1895), the Mitsaion Bridge (1845) and the Malnitsa Bridge (1934). Malnitsa lies outside the village but is one of Kastania’s four bridges. The Mitsaion Bridge is the oldest and highest bridge in Kastania. It was built in 1845 on the site of an earlier bridge destroyed in 1835. This means Mitsaion’s two construction phases are both in view: the earlier bridge and the 1845 replacement. The dates of the other bridges range from 1895 to 1936, offering a comparison across several decades.

Churches and sacred buildings

The bridges connect the individual districts. Fountains and seventeen churches and chapels form a protective ring around the village; the parish church of Agios Nikolaos stands at its center. It dates from 1926 and has a carved wooden iconostasis made by Charalambos Skalistis from Tourno.

An earlier landmark in time is the chapel of Agios Dimitrios: it dates from 1670 and is one of the oldest chapels in the village. The chapel of the Holy Apostles stands at the highest edge of Kastania. It marks the endpoint of the circular route; beside it are three fountains, symbolizing the three districts. Thus, the end of the route also points to Kastania’s division into three districts.

Houses, school and village character

The houses in Kastania are two-story stone buildings with courtyards and low stone benches by the entrance. On your walk, you will also come across the distinctive Gkasiou family house, known as Gkosiadiko. The two-story primary school building dates from 1894. The same number of stories links the homes and the school, while courtyards and stone benches are additional features of the houses. Placing selected construction dates side by side reveals a timeline from Agios Dimitrios (1670), through the Mitsaion Bridge (1845), to the school (1894)—three reference points spanning the 17th to the 19th century.

Festivals on two dates

For the feast of Ai-Giannis on June 24, a festival with food and local dances follows the church service, accompanied by local musicians. On July 26, the feast of Agia Paraskevi is marked by a church service, followed by celebrations with local dances in the village square. If you would like to plan your trip around one of the feast days, check the details for the relevant year in advance.

Discover more destinations: Zitsa, Ano Ravenia, Tsepelovo, Métsovon, Kapesovo, Elati, Pyrsogianni, Platania.

Return to the main travel overview: Ioannina.