The town of Parga is situated in the province of mainland Epirus. Like a picture postcard from the past, the amphitheatrically built cosmopolitan city of Parga is one of the most popular destinations of the northwest mainland of Greece. The beautiful and very green landscape is often a pleasant surprise for visitors to Parga. With its natural beauty, picturesque bays, amazing beaches, the thousands of olive trees and enormous pine trees look like they are marching towards the Ionian Sea, which is often only separated by a small sandy strip.
During your stroll around the town in its narrow streets, most of which lead up to the top of the hill. You will find lots of souvenir shops, bars, traditional kafeneios and tavernas with spectacular views out across the Ionian Sea.
On top of the hill sits a Venetian Castle from the 18th century. The breathtaking view from up there will amaze you. In front of you, you will see the ceramic rooftops of the amphitheatrically built city of Parga, the port and the small green-covered island of Blessed Virgin with the Monastery of Vlachernon which was built in the 12th century. If you look far enough out across the Ionian Sea you should be able to see the islands of Antipaxos, Paxos and the south tip of Corfu.
The summers of Parga are cool with an average temperature of less than 35 degrees Celcius, while the winter months are not severe, having an average temperature of around 5 degrees Celcius.
HISTORY
Parga was first inhabited at the end of the 13th century BC. All the Information about its first inhabitants, who were indigenous Greeks from Mycene, come from Tomb excavations.
After the defeat of the last Macedonian King Perseus in 168 BC in Pydna, all the cities of Epirus were destroyed by the Roman, Lucius Aemilius Paulus.
It was recorded in a document from 1320 AD that Parga, or Paleoparga as it was called then, was a part of the Byzantine Empire under the rule of Emperor Andronikus III. In 1360 AD Parga was occupied by the Normans until the beginning of the 15th century. For about 4 centuries Parga was then under the protection of Venice (1401-1797). In 1537, Parga was destroyed by the notorious pirate, Kheir-el-din Barbarossa and just before the beginning of the 19th century in 1797 the French Republicans led by Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Parga.
After the French were defeated and Napoleon fell in 1814, the British took over. In 1817 the Fjural Lord of Albania and Ioannina, Ali Pasha of Tepelane, bought Parga from the British for 150,000 pounds. The fortune of Parga was to fall into Turkish hands for 96 years. Finally, on the 23rd of February 1913, the Greek heroes Kanares, Dimoulitsas, Patatoukos, Mauromichalis and many others liberated Parga from the Turks. After so many centuries, Parga was once again part of Greece.
See all paths
