To reach Ligiades, you will drive for about 20 minutes and 13 kilometres starting from Ioannina. The village is located on Mount Mitsikeli and at an altitude of 900 metres. In terms of architecture and urban planning, we cannot say that you will find something that you won’t encounter in other Epirotic villages. There are houses built in the traditional style, but most are newer constructions with beautiful roofs and green gardens.
Ligiades is commonly known for its tragic history, which we will relate below. However, in recent years, thanks to the growth of social media, more and more travellers from Ioannina pass through it, either for a visit or making the village their base during their excursion. This happens because Ligiades is the village you must visit if you want to have a panoramic view of Lake Pamvotida, the island, and the city of Ioannina. The day we were here, the sky was clear, and so we were able to enjoy this beautiful sight from above.
Here, you will also see the Monastery of Saint George, which was an important spiritual centre of Epirus in the 17th century. Its founder is considered to be the learned cleric Vissarion Makris, who died in the monastery in 1699.
In the village, there are well-kept taverns and cafes, as well as accommodation options. The only certain thing is that it’s worth coming here on a day with good temperature, or at least dressed warmly to face the usually cool weather, so you can enjoy coffee or food at outdoor tables, looking at the lake from above.
The village of Ligiades has been designated a traditional settlement with about 100 permanent residents. It was destroyed and rebuilt from scratch after World War II.
Martyred Village
Ligiades was the site of an atrocity by the German occupation forces during World War II. On October 1, 1943, a German officer was returning to his unit’s headquarters near Ligiades from a party in Preveza and fell into a guerrilla ambush, where he was killed.
The rage of his commander was great, and he ordered revenge against the innocent villagers. Thus, on October 3, six trucks of the Edelweiss Division invaded Ligiades, burning down houses, and killing any villagers who didn’t manage to escape. The Germans made no distinctions in their brutality, and the victims included 34 children and babies, 37 women, and 11 elderly; a total of 82 people.
There were no young men of fighting age in the village at that time, as even though it was Sunday and a day for church, the village priest had been absent that day, so they went to the fields to work. Among those who survived was an infant who received a bayonet strike while in the arms of its mother, who was slaughtered. The person who received the strike is still alive and has spoken to the press over time about the spine-tingling historical events.
When you are in Ligiades, apart from enjoying your coffee with a view of Pamvotida, it is worth standing in the village square and paying tribute to the monument there, so as not to forget this devastating moment in modern Greek history.
Tips and Information for Your Trip
Ligiades is 13 kilometres from Ioannina, 424 kilometres from Athens, and 257 kilometres from Thessaloniki. With the vibrancy of a university town and very good options for entertainment and food, Ioannina and its wider area are truly an all-year-round destination.
Even if you have very little time at your disposal, it’s worth taking the boat to the island of Ioannina, one of Greece’s most beautiful and historical traditional settlements.
Another trip particularly worth taking on a family vacation is to the oracle of Dodona, less than half an hour’s drive from Ioannina.
Read also:
Ioannina, Greece: The experiences you must have in the town on the banks of lake Pamvotida
