The story of the cave
In the written testimonies from the time of the Turkish rule, there is no reference to the cave, and not even in earlier ones. It is probable that the existence of the cave was unknown since its entrance was not particularly obvious due to its morphology, but also because the lakeside path was not accessible and the approach to the point could be made only through the lake.
The cave was accidentally discovered by locals in the 1940s when the lakeside road was opened by general Soungaridis >, to which the name of the lakeside street was attributed. Later (1954) the Swedish explorerLinberg after touring the cave, informed the local community about its rich and admirable interior decoration.
The first serious attempt to highlight the cave was made by Zonis Zerboudakis in collaboration with the Hellenic Speleological Society (ESE) in 1963 when the first rough mapping was done as well as the first photos of its interior. The research was escalated in 1966 and completed in 1969 by a team of the ESE that registered the cave in the official annual Bulletin of the Hellenic Speleological Society. At the same time, the head of research Mr. Pallikaropoulos prepared a preliminary study for the tourist exploitation of the cave.
The constant publications from the local bodies as well as the carrying out of successive explorations had a catalytic effect. As a result, competent employees of the Ephorate of Speleology of the Ministry of Culture, invited by the Municipality, and in cooperation with the Friends of the Environment Association submitted an official conclusion (1995) on the appropriateness and possibilities of exploiting the cave.
Subsequently, the Kastoria Municipality turned to the search for funding to commission and prepare the definitive study. The resources were secured by the Ministry of Macedonia Thrace and the efforts started (1998) by a group of Kastoria scholars and supervisors of the Technical Service of the Municipality. Then the project " Utilization of Kastoria Dragon Cave" was included in the Regional Operational Program (ROP) of Western Macedonia.
Only at the end of 2009 (December 13) did the cave open its gates to the public. It is one of the most modern and impressive caves in the Balkans, equipped with highly sophisticated facilities and an air circulation system that allows the preservation of the natural condition of the cave while at the same time preventing corrosion inside it.
