Agios Germanos

Agios Germanos, (Αγιος Γερμανός, meaning Saint German; Герман, German ) is a village in the Prespes Municipality in Macedonia. Agios Germanos is located at an altitude of approximately 1,100 meters (3,606 feet), on a hillside, part of the Varnoundas Mountains. It is 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the Prespes lakes, which can be seen from a panorama location of the village. Agios Germanos lies 45 km (28 miles) from Florina, and 44 km (27,5 miles) from Kastoria.

The village is the only village in the Prespes region that still has preserved all of the old stone houses. The Byzantine church that formed the nucleus of the present village dates to the beginning of the 11th century. It has very interesting fresco's painted in three different phases. Nearby, the church of Agios Athanassios was built at the end of the 18th century. The village is especially known among tourists for hiking, bird watching and the Agios Germanos river with falls, which has the endangered species of the Salmo trutta peristericus trout. Agios Germanos river is on the northeast of the village. One can also see the restored water mills along the river.

Following the paths, one can reach the impressive mixed fir-beech forests,and the summits of Kitsevo or Despotiko (2,177m). The Sarakatsani, pastoralists from Thessaly, have the tradition of bringing their herds to graze on these mountains every year from May to October.

There is a hotel run by the women's cooperative called the Agios Germanos hotel and the Les Pelicans on the main square. Lefteris Taverna has exceptional food at a great village price.

Just north of the village is an early 20th century church built by Steven Doinidis. This church is kept up by the villagers which number just over 200 as of 2008.

Demographics
According to Bosnian ethnographer Stephan Verkovic, in 1889 the village had 213 households and a population of 1016 Bulgarians. In 1905 the population had gone down to 1250 with 90 of them being Arnauts (Albanians) and the rest - Bulgarians. Today, the village has a mixed population of Slav Macedonians, Slavophone Greeks, Aromanians and the descendants of Greek refugees from Asia Minor.