Kastoria Folklore Museum
Located in the imposing Nerantzis Aivazis mansion, right in the heart of the traditional Dolcho neighborhood, the Kastoria Folklore Museum is designed to take you on a journey through time. As you walk through its rooms, you feel as though you have stepped into an 18th-century household. The exhibited wall paintings, wood carvings, textiles, and furnishings narrate the life of a Kastorian aristocratic family—their habits, festivities, and everyday life. On the ground floor, you shall see the stone-paved inner courtyard, auxiliary spaces, the hagiati, and the traditional kitchen that once communicated directly with the lake. On the mezzanine, the fur-processing workshop stands out, featuring authentic tools as well as the city’s first fur-sewing machine. Upstairs, the winter and summer ontades, the formal reception room with its loft, and the liakotó (covered balcony) will briefly put you in the shoes of past householders. The highlight of a visit would be the kiosk-loggia, with its colorful stained glass, where families and friends once gathered for celebrations—and where today visitors stand in awe.
