Between Ioαnnina and the Aoos river valley lies the wild, eminently scenic region of Zagσri, with 46 now rather depopulated villages, full of stone-built mansions built from the proceeds of 18th- and 19th-century wealth.
The stone comes from the limestone and flysch beds making up the cliffs and mountains overhead
, the wood for ceilings and intricately carved built-in cabinets (mosandres)
from the dense forests on the lower slopes. Since the 1990s, a network of variably marked and maintained trails connects many of the villages via canyons, uplands and some of the scores of graceful stone bridges for which the area is also noted. Until the first roads arrived in the 1950s, paths over these bridges provided were Zagσri’s only link with the wider world.
The biggest of the canyons, taking some six hours to traverse by the most usual route, is the Vikos, the equal in depth and length of its more famous cousin of Samariα in Crete – though not yet as commercialised or busy. But it would be a shame to see only this of Zagσri, or frequent only the two most publicised trailhead villages, Monodendri and Pαpingo. If you ’are without transport, you’ can find bus service from Ioαnnina to these spots fairly skeletal – alternative southerly trailhead villages like Vitsa, Koukoli, Kipi and Tsepιlovo have much more frequent connections or are at least closer to the main regional road.
Monodendri is not one of my favourites... It’s full of tour coaches (the only Zagorian village so afflicted), mediocre tavernas and humdrum accommodation. The steep trail down into the gorge from here will give your knees an initial bashing they don’t need. Vitsa, just down the hill, is calmer, with five huge rooms for staying at , with an old mural in the lounge and pleasant breakfast area, plus an unusual restaurant (Kanella kai Garyfallo) featuring wild mushrooms on the menu, run by a returned Canadian Greek. From Vitsa the cobbled Skαla Vitsas provides a gentler introduction the ravine bed at the single-arched Misνou bridge, from where the O3 long-distance path heads downstream into the gorge proper, or upstream to Koukouli and Kipi villages.
In nightingale-graced Koukouli, the place to stay and eat is Papa-Kostas’ simple 7-room Tritoxo inn (tel 26530 71760), with an excellent restaurant and coffee room downstairs. A path continues over the Kondodimou bridge to regional centre Kipi on the daily bus route, where most of the rooms at well-restored Spiti stou Artemi have fireplaces.
Between the two villages, in the very upper reaches of the local gorge system, is the grand-daddy of local bridges, the much-photographed, three-arched Plakida or kalogeriko bridge. Nearly as impressive, but far less visited, is the Petsiσni double-arched bridge at Frangαdhes, 20km southeast of Kipi; there i’s a good, mostly Greek-patronised restaurant-inn here, the Petroto (tel 26530 71107). Greek president Karolos Papoulias, one of whose parents was from the area, maintains a holiday residence here.
Back on the main bus route beyond Kipi, Tsepelovo remains one of the more populated Zagorian villages, and is the usual start-point for traverses around Mt Gamila to Mikrσ Pαpingo at the far end of the Vikos Gorge. Allow a long, early summer’s day, with the snowpack gone but before deerflies and thunderstorms constitute a menace, and spend the night before at the Hotel Anthoula Gouri, one of the oldest and cheapest hotels in the area, catering to mountaineers since the late 1970s but recently renovated (tel 26530 81214; daughter Maria speaks English on 694 7561463). If they’re full, there are plenty of other characterful options in the village.
If you’re not bothered about instant access to the gorge or the mountains, and have a car, then two other villages definitely deserve a mention: Dilofo, south of Vitsa just off the main road, where To Sopotseli taverna is reliably open for grills , and Αno Pedinα west of Vitsa, where the Porfyron Inn occupies a restored mansion with painted-carved ceilings, set in a landscaped patio next to Αgios Dimitrios church. Eat nearby at Ta Soudena (the old name of this village), with hearty fare and Olde Worlde atmosphere.
However you enter the Vikos Gorge, go properly equipped – with stout boots, proper water bottles and walking stick or telescopic pole. The walk is not a Sunday stroll; mini-avalanches often obscure parts of the trail and the gorge-bottom is unsafe owing to flash-flooding in winter or early spring. As with the south end of the Vikos Gorge, so with the north end: a choice of finishing points. If you’re completely done in coming up on the five-hour mark, bear up and left towards the tiny village of Vikos (aka Vitsiko), where you can get a bed for the night at Ioannis Dinoulis’ inn (tel 26530 42112) and dine well at the Khristoforos Tsoumani restaurant, offering turnovers, grills, and local wines plus the usual oven dishes.
However, Vitsiko has only a single trail looping back towards Elafσtopos near Αno Pedinα; if possible, press on – past the Voidomαtis springs and the frescoed chapel of Panagia – to the main O3 trail up to the two Pαpingo villages. A strategic fork left leads to Megαlo Pαpingo, the bigger place with more facilities. The slightly dated, but cheerful, budget option is Kalliopi Inn (tel 26530 41081). Far and away the most creative taverna is Nikos and Ioulia Tsoumani, installed in an old threshing barn with archival black-and-white photos. They’ve also several well-furnished rooms (the best is Suite #8). Best value amongst many restoration inns is the family-friendly Xenonas Papaevangelou (tel 26530 41135), especially the four garden studios.
A right fork in the trail system leads instead to Mikrσ Pαpingo, under the outriders of Mt Gamila known as the Pirgi (Towers), where the only reliably open facility is trekker-friendly Xenon O Dias (26530 41257), with a bar-restaurant. The small luxury Mikro Papingo Hotel offers lounge areas with fireplace, a restaurant with panoramic terrace and a charming courtyard and was awarded with the Green Key Eco Label. From there is also the continuation of the O3 up the mountain to the alpine shelter at Astrαka col (allow 3hrs) and beyond to either Mt Gamila summit or the Dhrakσlimni (Dragon Lake) just below it. You’ll need to stay at the 70-bunk mountain hut, camp nearby, or make an extraordinarily early start out of Pαpingo. Coming north from Tsepelovo, you’ definitely have to overnight in the vicinity to take in the peak and/or lake.
Gamila peak (2497m) is an easy two-hour climb from the alpine shelter, with spectacular wildflowers en route during early summer. The little lake is about an hour away from Astrαka saddle, along a well-grooved-in route. In summer it is just possible to go for a swim, along with thousands of lacy-gilled newts which live in the chilly waters.
The Pαpingo villages have miserably infrequent bus connections out. Your best choices for leaving involve walking west 2.5hr on a marked path from Megαlo Pαpingo, via Αno Klidoniα village (facilities) to the main highway, or (more ambitiously) continuing north from the Astrαka shelter on a tougher path down into the Aoφs gorge, emerging at the famous single-arched bridge of Kσnitsa. Overnight here at the basic Xenonas Dendro (tel 26550 23982), with a sustaining taverna, or at the same family’s luxury Grand Hotel Dentro. Situated opposite the Bourazani Wildlife Park in Konitsa. The traditionally built Konitsa Mountain Hotel features rooms with balconies overlooking Aoos River or Mount Trapezitsa.
