Sights in the area

The Nekromanteion of Acheron (Oracle of the Dead) in the village of Mesopotamos.

It is a beautiful 30 km drive along the coastline. The Nekromanteion is the place where in ancient times (4th century BC) people could come into contact with their ancestors after a stay of a few days. They descended the stairs and asked for advice in the vaults. It must have been creepy at the time, I suspect. It is not really a big excavation but a very special one. It is all fairly well preserved. The entrance fee is 8 euros, children have free entrance. The dig is on top of a hill, it's a fairly small dig, but well worth the money.

Ali Pasha's Castle (Anthoussa Castle)

The impressive castle is located on top of a hill near the village of Anthoussa. This castle has been preserved in good condition and dominates the whole region. It was built by Ali Pasha (the Ottoman governor of Ioannina) to oversee the area, the sea and especially the city of Parga. It served as a base for operations against the inhabitants of Parga, who resisted the Ottoman attacks. In the summer the castle is used for cultural events and a nice walking path starts at the castle of Anthoussa to the beach of Valtos. The walk goes through lush greenery, past flowing water and old water mills. The view of the green region and the sea from the top of the castle is fantastic.

The Zalongo monument

The monument is also called the Dance of Zalongo. Residents of Souli fled from the Turkish soldiers of Ali Pasha. A group of 60 women with their children were cornered and came to the edge of the cliff “Stefani”. There they began to dance on December 16, 1803. Holding hands, they first pushed their children off the rock and jumped after it themselves. They chose death (their freedom) instead of slavery and dishonor. They literally and figuratively danced to their deaths, because they did not want to be captured by the Turkish army of Ali Pasha. In memory of this tragic but brave event, the monument was unveiled here on October 6, 1961.

The ancient city of Nicopolis

Ancient Nicopolis was founded by Octavian (Caesar Augustus) after he defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Aktion. Hence the name 'Nikopolis', which means the 'city of victory'.

Sights further afield from Parga

Further away from Parga are many impressive sights, which are easy to do by car:

• The beautiful Zagoria region in the mountains of Epirus is also definitely worth a visit. Zagoria is a beautiful mountainous area, it is located 164 km from Parga and 30 km. north of the town of Ioannina. It consists of 46 villages, 44 of which are inhabited. The houses are built in a typical Zagori architectural style, with stones. The Vikos gorge in Zagoria is well known, as is the Dragon Lake. Zagoria is a popular hiking area.
• The famous rock monasteries of Meteora. It is a long drive, but then you have seen something really special. Meteora is one of the most striking and impressive monuments of the world, protected by UNESCO. Centuries of erosion have given the rock formations their specific and difficult-to-control appearance. In 1336, the monk Athanasios, from Mount Athos, founded his Great Meteoron, the highest (623 m) and most important of the seven monasteries.