Capital, transport hub, as well as the prefecture's commercial and administrative centre. The city is studded with archaeological sites and is full of life, with charming pedestrian zones, modern shopping centres, cafès and bars.

The prefecture of Arta contains imposing mountains covered in spruces, fertile plains, roaring rivers and lagoons with important ecosystems. It is one of Greece's most beautiful regions and is located between the Tzoumerka mountain range and the Amvrakikos gulf.

It makes up the north-eastern part of Epirus. The varied scenery of the prefecture combines the beauty and harshness of the Greek mountains with the gentle and shallow beaches of the gulf of Amvrakikos and the fertile valleys of the Arahthos river.

Built on the edge of the Peranthi hill and the banks of the Arahthos river (which provided irrigation for ancient Amvrakia), Arta is undeniably known for its internationally famous bridge. According to the myth, the foreman's wife lays in its foundation. In 168 B.C., after the city was pillaged by the Romans, its residents fled to Nikopolis. It has been capital many times, while as ancient Amvrakia it was capital of the kingdom belonging to Pyrrhus, the king of the Molossians.

In 1204, it became the capital of the Principality or Despotate of Epirus, where it flourished. It is located 370 km NW of Athens (via Rio-Antirio) and 444 km SW of Thessaloniki.


A walk in Arta:

• At the famous bridge of Arta, known for its unique architecture, which connects the banks of the Arahthos river. The bridge was built in the period of the Despotate of Epirus and is 145 m long.
• At the portions of the ancient Amvrakia wall fortifications.
• At the Byzantine castle (13th century), where general Makriyiannis and his men were imprisoned by the Turks during the Revolution of 1821.
• At the municipal open theatre, near the castle’s entrance, where the clock tower stands.
• At the Skoufa Folklore Museum, in the western part of the bridge, in an 1864 privately-owned neoclassical building.
• At the Skoufa Museum of History.
• At the National Resistance square. A place with shops, cafès and bars, where the area's residents gather.
• At the church of the patron saint Aghia Theodora, an important Byzantine monument (13th century).
• At the church of Aghios Vasilios, a single-navel basilica (14th century).
• At the church of Panagia Parigoritisa (13th century), one of the most important Byzantine churches in Greece. Its refectory houses the city’s archaeological collection.
• At the “Skoufas” club library.
• At the public exhibition centre.
• At the “Dioni” convention centre.
• At the Fail Tzami, an almshouse from the 15th century, surrounded by age-old trees.
• At the forest of the Peranthi hill, where a tourism stand operates.
• At the Monastery of Kato Panagia (13th century), on the foot of the hill.

Source: GNTO