A mountain town with a centuries-old library, famous crocus fields and a miniature ‘Grand Canyon’. On this journey to Northern Greece, Kozani will win your heart.
Life is unhurried and uncomplicated in Kozani. Its library has been slowly growing for four centuries and now rivals the National Library in Athens for its rare and valuable works. Discovering its other charms is simply a matter of taking the classic promenade, visiting Servia and its miniature ‘Grand Canyon’ or walking over the bridge at Lake Polyfytou.This laid-back corner of Northern Greece is overflowing with beauty. Try to go in October for the saffron harvest when the crocuses are in flower.
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Archaeological site of Aiane The ancient city of Aiane was the most important of the kingdom of Elimeia. From the finds here, archaeologists have concluded that it was home to quite an advanced civilisation, on a par with the Mycenaeans. Start your tour at the acropolis at the top of the hill and carry on to the Necropolis, which was an important burial site from the Bronze Age to the Post-Helladic years. You can enjoy finds from the ancient city, the necropolis and the surrounding area in a modern museum a little outside Aiane. 
Visit to Servia The Byzantine emperor Herakleios built a town and a fortress here in the 7th century. By the 9th century it had expanded to become the most important settlement in the region. Nowadays, a well-maintained path above Servia leads you to the ruins after taking you past the cascades at Houni with their rocks shaped like human figures. Nature meets history on the same hike. Travel to the wild beauty of Greece in Macedonia. |
Historic documents in the library The Kovadareios library is not just a collection of dusty pages, it is a compilation of the history, symbols and values of a brand new and simultaneously ancient nation. Among the valuable codices and rare volumes, you’ll see one of the two surviving copies of the ‘Carta’ (Charter) of Rigas Feraios, one of the founding fathers of modern Greece. After the National Library in Athens, this is the richest in Greece. It has been accumulating rare volumes and relics for four centuries and has one of the most comfortable reading rooms in the country. 
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