Kozani
Although blighted by a large electricity plant, this prosperous district
has preserved much of its impressive architecture and traditions
The district of Kozani in western
offers some sharp contrasts: Its
overwhelmingly mountainous terrain
hosts an abundance of flora and fauna
but also includes one of the country’s
most environmentally damaged areas,
around the power production complex
near Ptolemaida. Plus, its rich architectural
heritage is a far cry from the
dominance of poorly styled urban
apartment blocks, particularly in the
town of Kozani itself, the capital of the
district (population 37,000).
The Public Power Corporation complex
in Ptolemaida is the largest power
production center in the country and
one of
thousands of tons of carbon dioxide
from burning lignite into the atmosphere
and causing serious health
problems to the inhabitants of surrounding
villages. While it is a sight, it
is best avoided, except perhaps in the
context of an educational visit. A questionable
benefit of this presence of
heavy industry is that the Kozani prefecture
boasts the fourth-highest income
per capita in the country after
those of
Apart from this relatively small area,
the district is well worth exploring for
its natural environment and heritage,
which includes ancient and Byzantine
cities (Apidea, Aiane, Servia) as well as
churches, stone bridges and mansions.
The landscape is marked by
in the western and eastern parts, as well
as the artificial
Until about two decades ago, Kozani
town, devoid of character and color, presented
scant reason for a visit. The dullness
was best expressed by songwriter
Yiannis Kakoulidis in “Ti Lozani
ti Kozani” – “Two coffee shops, two cinemas
/ sesame candy bar, ouzo and pastrami
/ girls abound, men are few / and
the evenings are bitterly cold.”
Since then, much restoration work,
development and pedestrianization in
the city center have considerably improved
this glum picture, including a number of surviving traditional and
neoclassical mansions. It is worth seeing
the 1664 Cathedral of Aghios Nikolaos
– with excellent frescoes – and the
Municipal Library, one of the richest in
Greece, with more than 100,000 volumes,
manuscripts, Ottoman edicts and
rare publications, including a copy of
the map (“Charta”) of the Balkans by
18th-century Greek patriot Rigas Velestinlis.
The town is livened by a considerable
student population.
Siatista (population 6,000), 28 kilometers
west of Kozani, is a worthy destination
by itself, having retained
much of the charm of its heyday in the
18th and 19th centuries, when its furs
and wines were highly sought after
from as far away as Venice and Moscow.
Its traders and artisans formed a
wealthy community, whose prosperity
and lifestyle is reflected in the twodozen
or so surviving mansions, like
small, three-story castles with fine internal
decoration featuring artful woodcarved
ceilings, colorful fireplaces and
stained-glass windows (see Page 43).
The 1677 Church of Aghia Paraskevi
has wonderful frescoes, including –
curiously – several ancient Greeks
such as Solon, Plutarch, Thucydides and
Aristotle – a reflection of contact with
Western classicists. Most households
are still occupied in the fur and leather
industry and the traditional, sweet wine
is still produced. A stroll around Siatista’s
cobblestone streets takes you
back in time.
Some 43 km south of Kozani, at
Mikrolivado, are the rare “bouharia”
and “nochtaria” geological formations
–first publicized only in 2004 – which
are clusters of pillar- and pyramidshaped
formations of red earth, some
with large stones balanced on top.
South of Kozani is the extensive archaeological
site and royal necropolis
of Aiane, with finds dating back to the
14th century BC.
A number of villages around Kozani
engage in the extensive cultivation of
Crocus sativus, the flower of which is
used to produce saffron.
Prices per double room include
breakfast. In Siatista (area phone code
24650): Iberis (tel 47054), newly built
hotel on the edge of town, very good
and friendly service, from 70 euros;
Siatistino Archontariki (tel 47020),
traditional, ambient guesthouse, from
50 euros; Siatista (tel 47047),
welcoming, wonderful mountain
views, mixes traditional and modern
elements, good breakfast, from 50
euros. In Kozani (area code 24610):
Elena (tel 30294), quiet hotel on the
edge of town, very good service, from
90 euros.
Where & what to eat
In Kozani: Trata, award-winning
restaurant (2009) specializing in fish
and seafood, menu includes organic
dishes section, excellent wine list;
Platanos, very good local dishes;
Kliougi, Anatolian meat dishes. In
Siatista: Petrino, classic Greek and
grilled dishes; Gravadika, popular
taverna, local and grilled dishes.
Sample the fish in one of the many
lakeside tavernas around Polyfyto
Lake. In Ptolemaida: Tothelo, modern
bar-restaurant. In Siatista, look for
saliaria – sweets stuffed with walnutsand spices.
Museums
In Kozani: the Archaeological Museum
(tel 24610. 26210) is expected to
reopen in a new building this year; the
rich Historical, Folk Art and Natural
43); the
monument; and the
hosting an exhibition of old maps of
excellent
(tel 24650.21353); the Paleontological
Collection (see Page 43). Ptolemaida’s
Paleontological and Historical
Museum (tel 24630.54444) includes
mammoth bones and elephant tusks.
What to see
The remains of a Byzantine fort and
acropolis at Servia, on the eastern side
of
with intriguing human- and animalshaped
rocks. The lake is crossed over
by the longest highway bridge in the
Balkans (1,372 meters). Other options
in the area include touring the
lakeside, water-skiing and visiting the
pretty, leafy little town of
famed for its fruit orchards and as the
birthplace of Giorgos Zorbas, who
provided inspiration for Nikos
Kazantzakis’s “Zorba the Greek” – and
the waterfalls at Skepasto.
Saffron
Greek red saffron, which is grown
in a number of villages around
Kozani, is considered the best in the
world. Saffron is the most expensive
spice, one that gives particular
flavor and color to various dishes,
beverages and cheeses. It
comprises the dried stigmas of the
Crocus sativus flower. One kilo of
saffron includes about 150,000
stigmas. A local cooperative has
exclusive rights to collecting and
selling the product. Annual
production varies between 6 and 8
tons.
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