Arcturos Bear Sanctuary

Macedonia


Twenty minutes' drive up the eastern flank of the mountains separating Kastoria and Florina is this sanctuary for the brown bears native to the Pindos Mountains, the Peristeri Range and the mountains that lie along the Bulgarian border. The ursine inhabitants have only 20 hectares to roam unmolested up here, but enjoy conserved natural habitat and an agreeably cool altitude of 1350m. This place is all about the bears: you can observe them, but no more.

The brown bear, Europe’s largest land mammal, survives only in very small numbers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Macedonia attractions

1. Archaeological Museum of Florina

9.95 MILES

Florina's modest two-storey archaeological museum tells the story of the city and surrounding region through prehistoric, classical, Hellenistic, Roman…

2. Church of Agioi Anargyroi

15.33 MILES

Best guesses date this three-aisle Byzantine basilica, perhaps Kastoria's most beautiful, to the late-10th or early-11th centuries. The external walls are…

3. Church of Agios Stefanos

15.35 MILES

One of Kastoria's oldest Byzantine churches, St Stephen's is a triple-aisled basilica retaining frescoes dating back to its construction in the 9th…

4. Kastorian Museum of Folklore

15.45 MILES

Built in the 17th century by the Aviazi family, who lived here until the 1960s, this intriguing traditional Doltso home now houses a collection of local…

5. Byzantine Museum of Kastoria

15.53 MILES

Testament to Kastoria's importance as a Byzantine city, this museum holds some 400 Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons. Many are displayed, alongside…

7. Agios Germanos Watermill

22.25 MILES

Built in 1930 to take advantage of the Agios Germanos River, this handsome old stone mill has been restored to working order by the dedicated folk of the…

8. Brajčino

25.13 MILES

Cradled by the foothills on the western edge of Pelister, little Brajčino's lungs are fit to bursting with fresh mountain air, making it a thoroughly…