Description of the attraction
Lake Orestiada, also known as Lake Kastor, is located in the northwestern part of Greece in Macedonia (Kastoria district). The town of Kastoria is located on a small peninsula jutting into the lake. The lake probably got its name "Orestiada" from the mountain nymphs Orestiada, although there are other hypotheses.
The lake is located at an altitude of 630 meters above sea level. Its area is 28 sq. km, and the maximum depth is approximately 9-10 m. Lake Orestiada is of volcanic origin and its age is about 10 million years. It is believed that the modern lake is only part of a huge prehistoric reservoir, whose area was 164 square meters. km.
Here in 1992 the so-called "Dispilio tablet" was found - a wooden tablet with signs, the radiocarbon analysis of which showed that its age is more than 7000 years. This suggests that the area near the lake has been inhabited since ancient times. On the banks of the Orestiada there is an important local landmark - the Byzantine church of Mavriotis, which dates back to the 11th century and is an important monument of Greek Orthodoxy.
Kastor Lake is a very important ecosystem with a rare ecological environment, home to a huge number of different living creatures, many of which are endangered. Near the lake you can find about 200 species of birds - these are swans, wild ducks, herons, gulls, storks, blackbirds, ibises, cormorants, starlings, robins, and even pink pelicans. The variety of fish found in the lake (crucian carp, carp, perch, roach, catfish, etc.) makes such an activity as fishing very popular. Beavers and otters also live in the lake. Turtles, salamanders and snakes can be found. The mountains surrounding the lake are home to wolves, foxes, bears, wild boars and other mammals. The flora of the lakeside territory is also very diverse. Such a variety of flora and fauna is somewhat surprising, since a fairly developed city is located nearby.
Lake Orestiada is one of the most picturesque Balkan lakes and is classified as a natural monument by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
