GREVENA
Certainly Grevena cannot be described as a town of intense nightlife and buzz. But there is no shortage of charming cafes and bars, mostly concentrated in the streets around Aimilianou square.
In addition to the tavernas-grills, visitors can try delicious food in Deskati, as well as in most tavernas of the surrounding villages. Standing out on the menu are grilled meats, often of excellent quality, skewered and charcoal-grilled, accompanied by local potatoes, cheeses and fresh salads.
There are also many traditional coffee houses (kafeneia), where mostly men spend their time, enjoying their coffee or tsipouro, playing cards or backgammon. With every tsipouro order, plates of appetisers, or meze, are served. These kafeneia are a safe choice for visitors who want to get a feel of the village while eating something light. The hospitable residents willingly give information about the history of each village, on the nicest routes, and places worth visiting.
Concerts and theatrical performances are usually organised throughout the year by the municipalities - especially in the summer- and are announced much earlier.
What to take back
Travellers to Grevena don’t just take away special memories, but mushrooms as well -dehydrated or preserved in oil - as well as pasta, a type of frumenty-like pasta, risotto and soups made with mushrooms.
Beyond the obvious items, the shelves of specialised grocery stores include liqueurs, pickles and sweets whose main ingredient is wild mushrooms, made from recipes created by mushroom pickers and local women.
The local dairies operate branches in the heart of Grevena, where you can buy their products, such as the refreshing anevato, spicy batzio, rich manouri and feta PDO cheeses.
Since even the same products have different tastes depending on the producer, it would be a good idea for all you cheese-loving visitors to sample them before deciding which one to choose.
The fruits of the region are converted by the women's cooperatives into spoon sweets based on the season of the year and time-honoured recipes.
Grocery stores also shelve local pasta, usually produced in early summer, such as petoura (thick noodles that are either cut with a knife or broken by hand) and frumenty-like pasta, sour and sweet.
Leisure Time in Grevena
The landmark of Grevena is the tower clock in its main square which is linked to Aimilianou Square (the other main square of the town), via a wide pedestrian street. The town nightlife unfolds around these two squares and the adjacent sidewalks, not least thanks to the presence of students from the departments of the University of Western Macedonia.Certainly Grevena cannot be described as a town of intense nightlife and buzz. But there is no shortage of charming cafes and bars, mostly concentrated in the streets around Aimilianou square.
In addition to the tavernas-grills, visitors can try delicious food in Deskati, as well as in most tavernas of the surrounding villages. Standing out on the menu are grilled meats, often of excellent quality, skewered and charcoal-grilled, accompanied by local potatoes, cheeses and fresh salads.
There are also many traditional coffee houses (kafeneia), where mostly men spend their time, enjoying their coffee or tsipouro, playing cards or backgammon. With every tsipouro order, plates of appetisers, or meze, are served. These kafeneia are a safe choice for visitors who want to get a feel of the village while eating something light. The hospitable residents willingly give information about the history of each village, on the nicest routes, and places worth visiting.
Concerts and theatrical performances are usually organised throughout the year by the municipalities - especially in the summer- and are announced much earlier.
What to take back
Travellers to Grevena don’t just take away special memories, but mushrooms as well -dehydrated or preserved in oil - as well as pasta, a type of frumenty-like pasta, risotto and soups made with mushrooms.
Beyond the obvious items, the shelves of specialised grocery stores include liqueurs, pickles and sweets whose main ingredient is wild mushrooms, made from recipes created by mushroom pickers and local women.
The local dairies operate branches in the heart of Grevena, where you can buy their products, such as the refreshing anevato, spicy batzio, rich manouri and feta PDO cheeses.
Since even the same products have different tastes depending on the producer, it would be a good idea for all you cheese-loving visitors to sample them before deciding which one to choose.
The fruits of the region are converted by the women's cooperatives into spoon sweets based on the season of the year and time-honoured recipes.
Grocery stores also shelve local pasta, usually produced in early summer, such as petoura (thick noodles that are either cut with a knife or broken by hand) and frumenty-like pasta, sour and sweet.
