Ancient orestis

Orestis or Orestia, was the name given by the ancient writers to the part of Macedonia that is bounded by the mounts Grammos, Voion, Askion, Vernon (Vitsi), Triklarion and the Prespes lakes.

Whether the region’s western boundary coincided with the present-day Greek-Albanian border, with Mt Morava, or lay west of Korytsa is unclear.

The chain of mountains encircling is broken by valleys and passes that assure –and control– communications in all directions. Their alpine meadows are some of the most extensive pasturelands in Greece, while the sheltered central plateau, protected from the icy north wind, is good farmland and provides suitable winter quarters for herdsmen and their flocks. Until recently a sizeable buffalo population found a pleasant habitat on the shores of Lake Kastoria, which is still home to a variety of fish and bird species, as is the River Aliakmon.