In Kleisoura, an annual New Year custom, insights into local history and opportunities for outdoor activities come together. The Argoutsaria give the town a distinctive cultural theme; the Ethnological-Folklore Museum and the Church of Saint Demetrios add to the picture of its history. Forests, forestry roads and hiking trails offer another perspective on Kleisoura.

Argoutsaria and Local History in Kleisoura

The Argoutsaria are among the folk rituals of the Twelve Days of Christmas and are a New Year custom in Kleisoura. During the custom, only male members of the local community dance through the main streets and squares wearing animal-shaped masks. They then gather for a communal dance in the town centre. Thus, both the dance through the town and the communal finale are described elements of the custom.

The Ethnological-Folklore Museum in Kleisoura presents the town’s development and heyday through historical memorabilia and photographs from different periods. The collection therefore brings together objects and images from various phases of the town’s history. The Church of Saint Demetrios is listed as a monument in the Greek register of archaeological sites and monuments. These two themes offer different ways to explore the area: the museum conveys local history through its collection, while the church, as a listed monument, is part of Kleisoura’s cultural heritage.

Forests and Hiking Trails

The natural surroundings are also part of what Kleisoura has to offer: its forests and surrounding area are suitable for outdoor activities on forestry roads and hiking trails. Alongside the custom, museum and monument, forest paths are another theme to explore during a stay.

This gives you a clear picture of the different interests to consider when planning your trip: you can get to know Kleisoura through its traditions and local history, or focus on outdoor activities. The Argoutsaria are not a general indication of a festival programme on any given date, but a specific New Year custom with its own local connections.

Kastoria: A Separate Context Within the Wider Destination

The wider destination of Kastoria is home to other sights and traditions that are specifically associated with that area. Kastoria is built amphitheatrically on a piece of land surrounded by Lake Orestiada. The lake is classified by the Greek Ministry of Culture as a natural monument of outstanding beauty and is included in the European Natura 2000 network for environmental protection. A short circular route around the lake passes plane trees, old mansions and churches, and offers views of the calm surface of Lake Orestiada.

The names Argoutsaria and Kastorian Ragoutsaria are similar, but refer to customs in different places. The Argoutsaria are the New Year custom of Kleisoura. The Kastorian Ragoutsaria takes place in Kastoria every year on 6, 7 and 8 January. This distinction in location helps keep the two traditions separate without conflating their respective themes.

Kastoria’s architectural and museum history offers another distinct focus. The traditional Papaterpou Mansion on Megalou Alexandrou waterfront street has been dated to 1880. The Tsatsiapa Mansion in the Apozari neighbourhood was built in 1754; it is the only surviving three-storey mansion in the city with a rectangular floor plan and a pronounced horizontal axis. In the traditional Doltso neighbourhood, the Folklore Museum of Kastoria is housed in the Nerantzi Aivazi Mansion and portrays the life of an aristocratic family from Kastoria. Also in Doltso, the Costume Museum, housed in the mansion of the Emmanuel brothers, displays authentic costumes from all over Greece, including elaborately crafted costumes from Kastoria.

Other collections in Kastoria focus on the region’s history. The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle displays heirlooms of the descendants of Macedonian fighters, uniforms, photographs from the early and peak periods of the Macedonian Struggle, and historical maps; the oldest map dates from 1550. The Kourshoum Mosque is the only one of Kastoria’s seven Ottoman mosques that has survived to this day. Experts believe it was built in the early 15th century on the foundations of an older Byzantine church.

The Dragon’s Cave offers a different perspective: its 300-metre visitor route passes through ten chambers and by seven small freshwater lakes. Features described include stalactites, stalagmites and palaeontological finds, including cave bear bones around 10,000 years old. This makes it easy to explore Kastoria’s themes according to your interests: the lake and circular route, mansions and museums, or the cave each offer a distinct regional perspective.

Discover more destinations: Kato Nestorio, Aghia Triada, Dispilio, Kastoria, Áyios Zakharías, Vogatsiko, Korisós, Mesopotamia Aliakmonas

Return to the wider travel guide: Kastoria.