All year

Double room €50 - 100 per night (breakfast not included)

En-suite bathroom (small shower)
Telephone
Television

Sitting room
Small terrace

Vergoula’s Mansion is in the quiet historical district of Kastoria, a small Macedonian town set on the shores of a peninsula that stretches into a magnificent lake.

It is not easy to explain how to get to the hotel. If you are lucky you’ll drive straight to it (as I did the first time I went there), but you might also go round a few circles until you find it (as it happened to me the second time). Start by following signs for the centre of the town, and try and find the Metropolis Cathedral (on Manolakis Street). After you pass the Cathedral, you should see a sign for the hotel on your left.
 

The hotel gives the following directions (not tried by me yet):
Coming from the south entrance of Kastoria, follow the road by the lake. Turn right on Swan Ave. Continue straight until you reach a traffic light and turn right. Drive along the lake for a distance of 300m until you see on your left a cafe (Bollox). Turn left immediately after the cafe into a road called Orestes. At the end of this (short) street, turn right into Papareska Street. Drive all the way uphill; at the highest point you will see a sign that leads you left into road Agios Kosmas Street. After approximately 250 meters, where the road begins to descend on your right, you will see two traditional mansions.The second is Vergoula's Mansion.

This charming town in western Macedonia is not often included in the itineraries of foreign tourists, nor do people living in Greece really consider it a mini-escape destination. It is just too far out of the way. This is a pity, because the town has a lot going for it. It enjoys a great setting on the shores of a magnificent natural lake surrounded by mountains. A large part of the town is actually built on a peninsula that stretches far into the lake. This is where you will find the historical district of Doltso, well known for its superb 18th and 19th century noble houses. It is a neighbourhood with a wonderfully calm, almost village-like atmosphere with kids playing freely in the narrow cobbled streets and alleyways, where cars only just manage to pass through.

You should explore Kastoria on foot. It may put a little strain on your leg muscles – some of the alleyways are pretty steep – but it will give you a chance to see up to 70 tiny Byzantine churches (if you manage to find them all), the oldest dating from the 9th century. There are two museums, both worth a visit: the Byzantine Museum displaying a small but impressive collection of icons, and the Folklore Museum where you get an idea of the way wealthy fur merchants in Kastoria lived and worked in the 18th and 19th centuries. A further walk along the winding road around the peninsula will take you through a lovely forest by the water, past the 11th century Mavritissas Monastery.

The surroundings of Kastoria are great for nature and sports lovers. The lake itself offers a multitude of things to do (fishing, canoeing, sailing…) while the mountains nearby are terrific for hiking. In the winter you can even do a bit of skiing.