Stone-built villages, impressive bridges, rushing rivers, exhilarating routes through nature - Starting from the city of Ioannina you can take short or long excursions to some of the most beautiful mountain destinations in Greece.
Next to a magical lake and between high mountains, Ioannina is one of the most beautiful and most interesting cities in Greece. Combining history, culture, gastronomic delights and a youthful pulse, the city of silversmiths, students, legends and traditions is a fascinating destination in its own right, but around it spread many lovely places worth discovering. Here are four ideas for nearby excursions, ideal for a weekend or a three-day escape.
Metsovo
In less than an hour from Ioannina (50 km.) you will find yourselves in beautifulMetsovo. Perched at an elevation of 1,160 m., the famed Vlach village stands imposingly and enchants every visitor with its traditional atmosphere. You will need the whole day to explore it, wander its picturesque cobbled lanes, visit the Folklore Museum and the Averoff Gallery, and taste thecelebrated local specialties (kontosouvli, pies, etc.). Do not forget to shop for Metsovone and Metsovela cheeses.A unique experience is a visit to the artificial Lake Aoos (or Aoos Springs Lake), 20 km. northwest of Metsovo. Here you will see an alpine landscape of rare beauty. It lies at an elevation of 1,350 meters and is the highest large lake in Greece.
Zagorochoria
Where to begin with the famedZagorochoria; It is hard to single out the most beautiful. Each village has its own charm and serves as a starting point for thrilling explorations. Forty-six picturesque villages, north of Ioannina, between Mitsikeli and Tymfi, promise powerful emotions to lovers of traditionand nature. The most famous are Megalo and Mikro Papigo, while a stop in Monodendri is essential, as it is the starting point for the Vikos Gorge as well as many mountaineering and hiking routes. Aristi, Vitsa, Ano and Kato Pedina, Kipoi,Koukouli, Dikorfo, Dilofo and Tsepelovo are a few morebeautiful villages you can explore. Hereyou will enjoy the tranquility of nature, admire the traditional architecture, snap great photos with stone arch bridges as your backdrop, and taste mouthwatering Epirote pies that will stay with you.
Konitsa
Three rivers (Aoos, Voidomatis and Sarantaporos), stone arch bridges and the Vikos-Aoos National Park create a mosaic of experiences in one of the most beautiful regions of Greece. The small town ofKonitsais about 65 km. from Ioannina and is surrounded by impressive natural terrain. At the entrance to Konitsa you will be welcomed by its famed stone-built bridge, the work of master builder Kostas Frontzos (1870). Nestled in the mountain massifs of Grammos and Smolikas, at the northeastern edge of the Ioannina regional unit, lie the Mastorochoria of Konitsa, a group of mountain settlements with a distinctive architectural identity worth discovering. This is the homeland of the renowned Epirote stone craftsmen who traveled across the world, leaving stone masterpieces behind them.
Tzoumerka
The Tzoumerka(also known as the Athamanika Mountains) embrace a collection of beautiful villages shared between the regional units of Ioannina and Arta. A special chapter of this land is Syrrako and Kalarrytes, the two facing stately villages of Ioannina, in Northern Tzoumerka. Although they seem close, they are separated by the sheer gorge of the Kalarrytikos River. These historic villages preserve intact the traditional Epirote architecture, with stone-built houses and slate roofs. A major attraction of the area is the Kipina Monastery (one of the most impressive monasteries in Epirus), built into the hollow of a vertical rock. Depending on your time and mood, put on your itinerary to discover other villages and sights in the area too: the historic Plaka Bridge (the largest single-arch bridge in the Balkans), which connects Tzoumerka with the Katsanochoria on the Arachthos River, the village ofKataraktis with its impressive twin waterfalls, and the main village of Pramanta with its lovely square, are some of them.
