5/5 Sofia E. 4 years ago on Google
Pamvotida
(Pamvotis
in
Ancient
Greek:the
great
provider)
with
a
surface
of
22.8
sqm/km
is
not
only
the
largest
lake
of
Epirus
but
the
second
oldest
lake
in
Europe.
Two
bryozoan
species
have
recently
been
reported
from
the
lake.
You
The
lake
is
supplied
by
the
springs
of
Mount
Mitsikeli,
of
Drabatova,
Sendeniko
and
Krya.
The
waters
usually
calm
freeze
occasionally.
You
would
see
locals
and
tourists
alike
to
spend
sunny
summer
days
on
its
shores,
walk
next
to
the
lake
or
having
a
meal/drink
in
the
local
restaurants,
coffee
shops,
snack
bars
while
enjoying
the
view.
There
are
thick
reed
beds
around
the
lakeside
as
well
as
dense
thickets
of
willows,
poplar
trees
and
huge
plane
trees
which
offer
shelter
from
the
wind
to
host
local
and
migrational
birds.
Herons,
grebe,
snipe,
swans
and
cormorants
add
to
the
natural
beauty
of
the
area.
Lake
Pamvotida
is
also
home
to
Tsima
(Τσίμα),
a
species
of
fish
endemic
to
the
lake.
In
the
center
of
the
Lake
Pamvotida,
there
is
a
picturesque
island
with
many
small
monasteries,
which
can
easily
be
visited
because
of
the
close
distance
between
them.
They
were
mainly
built
during
the
13th
century,
when
after
the
fall
of
Constantinople
by
the
Franks
in
1204
aristocratic
families
of
the
Byzantine
capital,
such
as
the
family
of
Philanthropinoi,
the
Stratigopoulos,
etc.
fled
here
and
founded
the
Despotate
of
Epirus.
The
monasteries
reached
their
pick
in
the
16th
century
and
their
decline
and
desolation
at
the
beginning
of
the
19th
century
when
Ali
Pasha,
the
Ottoman
ruler
of
the
area,
trespassed
the
monasteries
wealth
and
inflicted
heavy
taxation
upon
the
residents.
In
1822,
in
one
of
the
cells
of
the
Monastery
of
Panteleimon
on
the
island
the
legendary
Ali
Pasha
of
Ioannina
left
his
last
breath.
It
was
the
outcome
of
his
resistance
to
resign
his
official
his
official
post
as
ordered
by
Sultan
Mahmut
II.
To
go
to
the
island
take
one
of
the
boats
at
Molos
and
in
approximately
six
minutes
you
will
reach
your
destination.
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