Korisós: Lazarines customs and historic churches

Two topics offer a particularly tangible way to get your bearings in Korisós: the Lazarines customs, with their connection to spring, and the small church of Agios Georgios. A nearby cemetery church bears the same name and has its own historical date, so the two buildings should be considered separately.

The Lazarines customs in Korisós

As part of the Lazarines customs, girls aged 3 to 15 sing Lazarus songs and carry decorated baskets. The custom culminates in a procession around Agios Georgios and songs welcoming spring. On Lazarus Day, the streets of Korisós are filled with white traditional costumes and joyful voices. The singing, baskets and procession give the custom a tangible form; the greeting of spring adds a distinct seasonal note.

Agios Georgios: distinguishing between two churches

The small church of Agios Georgios is considered a significant surviving historical monument and an example of vernacular architecture. Folk icons are also part of its character. Nearby is the cemetery church of Agios Georgios, which was founded in 1897. The year refers to the cemetery church; despite sharing the same name, the two buildings should be distinguished from one another.

More cultural and landscape highlights in Kastoria

The wider destination of Kastoria offers further distinct themes. Kastoria is built in an amphitheatrical layout on a piece of land surrounded by Lake Orestiada. The Greek Ministry of Culture has designated the lake a natural monument of exceptional beauty; it is also included in the European Natura 2000 network for environmental protection. A short path around the lake passes plane trees, old mansions and churches, and offers views of its calm surface. The city’s layout, the lake’s protected status and the walking route offer different perspectives on Kastoria.

The festival calendars are also easy to distinguish: Kastoria’s Ragoutsaria takes place in Kastoria every year on 6, 7 and 8 January. In Korisós, the Lazarines customs are tied to Lazarus Day. Thus, two distinct customs with different dates stand side by side.

Kastoria offers architecture enthusiasts tangible historical points of reference. The traditional Papaterpou mansion on the waterfront, on Megalou Alexandrou Street, has been dated to 1880. In the Apozari neighbourhood stands the Tsatsiapa mansion, built in 1754. It is the city’s only surviving three-storey mansion; its rectangular floor plan and pronounced horizontal axis define its form. These dates and architectural features complement the local church history of Korisós with distinct examples from Kastoria.

Kastoria’s museums also differ in their focus. The Folklore Museum is housed in the Nerantzi Aivazi mansion in the traditional Doltso neighbourhood and offers an insight into the life of an aristocratic family from Kastoria. The Costume Museum is located in the Emmanuel brothers’ mansion, also in the Doltso neighbourhood. It displays authentic traditional costumes from across Greece, including elaborately crafted costumes from Kastoria. The regional perspective thus extends from family life and architecture to clothing and its local connections.

Discover more destinations: Aposkepos, Argos Orestikón, Kleisoura, Kato Nestorio, Aghia Triada, Nea Kotili, Vogatsiko, Maniakoi

For the broader travel overview: Kastoria.