| Western Macedonia | |
 | |
Location  | |
Flag  | |
| State | Greece |
|---|---|
| Capital | Kozani |
| Surface | 9,451 km² |
| Inhabitants | 303.857 (2005 census) |
| Tourism site | |
| Institutional website | |
Western Macedonia is a region of the Greece.
To know
Only region of the Greece landlocked, Western Macedonia has attractions linked together by a common thread represented by its alpine landscapes.
Dismissed by international tourists who like to bask in the sun on the beaches of famous islands such as Santorini and Mykonos, West Macedonia remains a favorite destination for domestic tourism: especially in August, many Greeks shy away from crowded beaches preferring to stay in one of the villages around the national park. del Pindo or go hiking in the remote park of Prespa or camping in the woods near the lakeside town of Kastoria.
Western Macedonia is also full of picturesque villages with traditional stone houses some of which such as Nymfaio and Siatista are counted among the most beautiful in Greece.
West Macedonia is also a suitable destination for wine enthusiasts: the town of Amyntaio is full of wineries set in large estates and some of these have fine accommodations for their visitors.
Territories and tourist destinations
Western Macedonia is divided into four regional units named after their respective capitals:
Urban centers
Western Macedonia: full screen map.Florina Regional Unit
- 1 Florina (Φλώρινα)
- 2 Nymfaio (Νυμφαίο) - is a village perched on the slopes of Mount Vitsi at an altitude of 1350 and among extensive woods.
- 3 Pisoderi (Πισοδέρι) - 18 km from Florina and near the mountain pass of the same name, Pisoderi is a village located at an altitude of 1600 m. and surrounded by extensive beech woods. Higher up is the Vigla ski resort.
Grevena regional unit
- 4 Avdella (Αβδέλλα)
- 5 Grevena (Γρεβενά, Grevená)
- 6 Kosmati (Κοσμάτι)
- 7 Perivoli (Περιβόλι) - Located at an altitude of 1250–1370 meters Perivoli it is a village inhabited in winter by no more than a dozen families who speak the Aromanian dialect (Vlachi / Βλάχοι in Greek). In the summertime Perivoli it is full of life thanks to the holidaymakers who flock there with the intention of making excursions to the Pindos National Park.
- 8 Vasilitsa (Βασιλίτσα) - Holiday resort with interesting hotels amidst superb coniferous and deciduous forests and a winter sports center with ski lifts.
Kastoria regional unit
- 9 Kastoria (Καστοριά, Kastoriá)
Kozani Regional Unit
- 10 Kozani (Κοζάνη)
Other destinations
- 1 Prespa Lakes National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός Πρεσπών, Ethnikòs Drymòs Pindou) - La Piccola and Grande Prespa are two lakes located where the borders of Greece, Albania and North Macedonia. Alla Greece only minor portions of the two lakes belong. The area is a national park.
- 2 Pindos National Park (Εθνικός Δρυμός Πίνδου, Ethnikòs Drymós Pindou) - A large park that extends over a series of inaccessible mountains of which the highest is it 1 Smolikas, the highest mountain in Greece after Olympus.
- The park is poorly equipped (a couple of shelters) and cell phones do not work inside, so the visit requires careful planning.
- In the park live specimens of brown roe deer and chamois. There are also colonies of wolves, wild cats, foxes, wild boars as well as various species of birds including birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians.
- The main access to the park is from the village of Perivoli mentioned above.
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Sunset a Kastoria
Vigla ski resort above Pisoderi
Nymfaio village
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How to get
By plane
The nearest international airport is that of Thessaloniki. Once you get off you will have to go to the Macedonia bus station (on the other side of the city) and there locate the bus for your final destination in West Macedonia. If this is Florina you could also opt for the train.
By car
_-_02.jpg/220px-A27_Motorway,_Greece_-_Section_Kozani-Ptolemaida_-_Kozani-North_interchange_(A2)_-_02.jpg)
and the 
Western Macedonia is crossed by a modern highway, the Via Egnazia or 
which starts from the port of Igoumenitsa and ends at the border Greek-Turkish. In the section that crosses Western Macedonia, the A2 touches the two capitals of Grevena is Kozani and also has two branches with motorway characteristics:
. The A29 is a 79 km motorway which starts at the Siatitsa junction and ends after 72 km at 2 Kristallopigi, the border post withAlbania. The A29 touches Kastoria, famous for its Byzantine churches and their valuable frescoes. 
. The A27 starts at the Kozani Nord junction and stops after 78.5 km at 3 border post of Niki with the North Macedonia. Tap the city of Florina. Beyond the border it is 4 Bitola, a city at the foot of the Baba mountain massif, a popular holiday resort.
On the train
- Railroad Thessaloniki-Florina. The only railway in West Macedonia is the Thessaloniki-Florina. It is a non-electrified single-track railway about 200 km long. Trains make intermediate stops a Veria ed Edessa, two tourist resorts of some interest, mentioned by any guide worthy of the name. Information on timetables on the site OSE trains.
By bus
The buses of the KTEL consortium connect the various regional centers with the other Greek cities. Particularly frequent are the trips to / from Thessaloniki. Each regional unit has its own KTEL consortium:
- KTEL Florina
- KTEL Grevena
- KTEL Kastoria
- KTEL Kozani
How to get around
What see
- Portitsa bridge (Yefìri Portitsas). Of the many stone bridges built in the Ottoman period, this one in Portitsas is considered the most beautiful simply because it has as its background the entrance of a wild gorge between rocky walls that seem to have to collapse in a few moments. The roaring noise of the waters of the Aliakmonas adds suggestion, which becomes impetuous in this section, between the villages of Spileo and Lykotrypa (the wolf's hole).
What to do
At the table
Safety
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Western Macedonia
Commons contains images or other files on Western Macedonia
