Kozani, a picturesque town set 710 metres above sea level, is the prefectural capital.

The town has several interesting churches, some with beautifully carved icon-screens, some with lovely frescoes, as well as a few 19th century mansion houses. Kozani's pride and glory is the Kouventarios Municipal Library, which contains 69.000 volumes and a large number of manuscripts. Also worth a visit is the Analipsi Monastery, a bit to the north of town, where the weavings, rugs and embroideries made by the nuns have won considerable renown.

Those wishing a more traditional atmosphere will want to go to Siatista (28 km. to the southwest) on the slopes of Mt. Siniatsikos (alt. 920 m.). Thanks to its fur industry, the town prospered in terms of both commerce and culture in the 18th and 19th century, and the churches, schools and mansions built during that era still stand. The interiors of Siatista's houses are beautifully decorated with carved wooden ceilings, stained glass windows and elegant fireplaces.

The market town of Velvendos lies 30 kilometres southeast of Kozani. Surrounded by plane and poplar woods, peach orchards and hazelnut stands near the Aliak-mon river, it too has retained many of its old mansions. In addition, many new buildings are designed in the traditional style.

Other villages where old Macedonian architecture can be seen and admired are Pentalofos, Katafigi, Vlasti and Tsotili with a picturesque arched bridge.

Servia controls the pass over the mountains to Thessaly; here there is both a Byzantine fortress and several Byzantine churches with superb frescoes.

Finally, at Perdikas, near the town of Ptolemaida, the anthropologist Aris Poulianos discovered the bones of a prehistoric elephant. One of the oldest specimens of the kind ever found in Europe, it lived in the region some three million years ago.

Useful Information

Kozani Historical and Folk Art Museum 
Kozani Archaeological Collection : in the Municipal Library. 
Siatista Paleontological Museum : in the high school (gymnasium).

Caves - Bridges

Skotino ("Dark") Cave : with stalactites and stalagmites, near the village of Akrini.

The Servia bridge : the longest in Greece, 1.372 metres.

Fishing : in Lake Aliakmon.

Shopping : Furs in Siatista, hand-woven fabrics in Vlasti.

How to get there

By bus : Athens-Kozani, KTEL Athens, tel.: 512.9308. Thessaloniki-Kozani, KTEL Thessaloniki, tel.: (031) 522.488.

By train : Athens-Kozani, OSE Athens, tel.: 524.0647. Thessaloniki-Kozani, OSE Thessaloniki, tel.: (031) 517.517

By plane : Athens-Kozani, Olympic Airlines, Athens, tel.: 966.6666, O.A. Kozani, tel.: (0461) 36.462-3. Kozani Airport, tel.: (0461) 26.864.