From Mountainous Arcadia to Kaimaktsalan, five stone-built villages inspire us to take to the mountains. Each of them has its own charm.
Stone-built mansions, cozy guesthouses, squares with spellbinding views, crackling fireplaces and good food. If youre looking for destinations for your winter getaways, the followingvillageswill give you the chance to unwind in nature and explore stone-builttraditional settlementsthat preserve their authenticity.
Lagkadia, Mountainous Arcadia
Lagkadia is one of the loveliest villages ofArcadia- and of all mountainous Greece - and it is worth discovering. Homeland of two Greek prime ministers (Theodoros Deligiannis and Nikolaos Deligiannis), as well as the most renowned stone craftsmen of the area, Lagkadia spreads amphitheatrically across a steep slope of Mainalo,amid lush vegetation, creating an impressive sight. The village, 65 km from Tripoliand at an elevation of about 900 meters, has been designated a traditional preserved settlement.
The winding road follows the contours of the landscape and leads to the heart of the village, adorned with the works of the famed Lagkadia stonemasons. The houses, churches, the historic school, fountains, the square and the uphill cobbled lanes are true masterpieces of stone architecture. If you like activities in nature you can follow a section of the Mainalon Trail towards the village of Valtesiniko and discover springs, watermills and the large Grilas meadow. Nature lovers can also visit the artificial Lake Ladonas, between the Lagkadia mountains and Mount Aphrodision.
Vizitsa, Pelion
Among the best-known and most traditional Pelion villages, Vizitsa stands out for its impressive, well-preserved mansions - perhaps the most photographedin Pelion. The entire village resembles an open-air museum of Pelion artistry. Stand before the restored mansions and notice the details. It is no coincidence that EOT, in the ’80s, began here the program to restore local traditional architecture.
Also beautiful is the village’s large square with its tall plane trees, and its churches are particularly important (standouts include the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner and the Church of Zoodochos Pigi).Depending on the season, from Vizitsa you can hike towards Milies, and even reach the sea.Do not forget to make a stop at the Women’s Agritourism Cooperative “Hesperides” for jams and spoon sweets made from the area’s fresh fruit.
Dilofo, Zagorochoria
Dilofo is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and best-preserved villages of Zagori. Built at an altitude of about 900 m. on the slopes of Tymfi and 32 km from Ioannina, thesettlement has been designated traditional and is an outstanding example of Zagori architecture. All buildings are made from the local schist.
Leave your car at the entrance of the village (vehicles do not circulate within the settlement) and begin your wander through the village’s atmospheric setting that includes narrow flagstone cobbled lanes, wonderful mansions (such as the 13.5-meter-tall Makropoulos mansion - said to be the tallest house in Zagori), stone fountains and a beautiful central square with a huge plane tree.Sights in the village include the imposing Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos (1850), the Anagnostopouleios School, which operated as a Boys’ School and then as a Primary School, as well as two stone bridges (Agios Minas and Kapetan Arkoudas) located near the village. It is certain that if you visit this village once, you will return many more times.
Kalarrytes, Tzoumerka
Kalarrytes is located at the southeastern end of the Ioannina regional unit in the Tzoumerka area and is built at an altitude of 1,200 m., on the edge of a steep gorge. It is a protected traditional village, where imposing stone mansions, abundant waters and traditional cobbled lanes take center stage.The villagers will tell you stories about the first silversmiths who were born here - among them Sotirios Voulgaris, who founded the famous Bvlgari house.
After visiting the Museum of Christos Golfinopoulos and Aikaterini Mousafiri, as well as the Church of Agios Nikolaos with its noteworthy carved wooden iconostasis, make a stop at Akanthos, the retro café of Napoleon Zagklis that will transport you to 1950s Greece.Also worth seeing is the impressive Kipina Monastery, built in 1212 in the recess of a vertical rock several dozen meters above the road that leads to Kalarrytes.
Palaios Agios Athanasios, Pella
Built at an altitude of 1,200 meters on the slopes of Kaimaktsalan, Greece’s third-highest mountain, 30 km from the town of Edessa and 123 km from Thessaloniki, thePalaios Agios Athanasios stands out for its traditional Macedonian architecture, as well as for its proximity to the famed Voras ski center, which has the highest elevation of all ski resorts in Greece (around 2,500 meters). Buildings with tiled roofs and the primary materials of stone and wood prevail everywhere and explain why Palaios Agios Athanasios is known as the «stone village».
From the chapel of Agios Athanasios on the hill of the same name you can admire the wonderful view toward Lake Vegoritida, the third largest lake in area in Greece. On the mountain’s highest peak lies the Voras-Kaimaktsalan Ski Center, with excellent facilities and slopes for all tastes. An unforgettable experience is the hike from the ski center to the chapel of Prophet Elias, at the mountain’s summit, which is dedicated to the memory of the Serbian fallen of World War I.
