Leaving Ourselves Behind

The Zagori region ( Slavic name for Place Behind the Mountain) in northern Greece is one of the most untouched, remote and thrilling landscapes we have ever encountered. Surrounded by mountain ranges and rivers, 46 small stone villages were built during the Ottoman period between the 17th and 19th centuries. The early settlers were loggers, ranchers, blacksmiths, tradespeople and merchants who set up a road network with stone paths and bridges and during that period enjoyed wealth and prosperity.

However, by the mid-20th-century, the effects of four wars and the industrial revolution had created a steady decline in population and today, many of the villages are like ghost towns. Tourism and the interest in the historic towns, stone bridges and fascinating geology have helped to prevent the villages from becoming entirely abandoned.

We stayed at Gaia Guesthouse in the tiny village of Dilofo (pop. 10).

This was the view of sunrise from our bedroom window.

This was where we ate our breakfast every morning. The dog and the cats belong to the neighbours – they have figured out that tourists are a soft touch.

The view of Dilofo – note the many shuttered windows. Many of these buildings are vacation residences, but remain closed for much of the year. In our little village, there were two guesthouses and one very good restaurant. That’s it – no stores, no groceries. Nearby villages had one small “mini-market”, but for everything else, it was necessary to go to Ioannina, a small city 35 km. away.

What attracted us to this region was the Vikos Gorge, which is listed as being the “world’s deepest canyon in relation to its width“. This claim is apparently somewhat in dispute, but whatever its standing as deep canyons go, it is mightily impressive.

The view looking straight down.

There are a number of reasons to visit the Vikos Gorge and region. Hiking is the big thing – long, sweaty strenuous hikes that attract legions of people who are more athletic than us. Biking is another draw. I talked to this cheery crew from Scotland who were getting final instructions from their group leader before tearing down switchback roads on their e-bikes. I’d be screaming – those roads were scary to drive.

Here we are: equipped to tackle a hike that our charming host Elsa described as “easy.”

We started off our hike on the Vradeto Steps easily enough – a shady path leading downhill toward a bridge. So far, so good.

Then, out of the shade and into the unforgiving Greek sun, up and up and up (1200 steps, to be exact.)

Still, the views were glorious and eventually, as is the case with all hikes, we reached the top.

Stone bridges figure very prominently here – they were important links between villages until paved roads went in. It is possible to hike between the villages for 12 km. and see many of these bridges, (and then you have to return), but we took the hikes in more manageable steps.

Our first hike was out of our village to the village of Kipi – a total of 10 km. return. We figured it would be a challenge, but we were unprepared for how tough it was – heat, sun, altitude, age – any and all of the above conspired against us. Uneven footing, swarms of pesky flies, walking past fresh piles of bear poo (the woods are filled with brown bears) and paths that ranged from boulders to scree to slippery cobblestone.

Stephen on the path at the early, optimistic stage.

And then we ran into this – a marker for the 80 km. race. 80 Km.! There are shorter races as well, but this is the ne plus ultra of marathons, and it attracts runners from all over Greece. It is held every July (hottest month of the year), but this year the 80 km. race was shortened to 60 km., since as our host Elsa pointed out, “This was a very hot summer.” I cannot begin to wrap my head around being able to run for 80 km. anywhere, but to fling my body down steep, rocky hills, and up slippery gravel paths for hour after hour in 35+ degree heat?

Visiting stone bridges was way more appealing. I have read there are anywhere from 45 to 140 bridges. They were often built by a wealthy resident or a local monastery, and over the years repairs have been made, but the look remains intact.
This bridge, the Noutsos or Kokkoris bridge was first built in 1750, and has been rebuilt since then.

Another view of the bridge.

The Plakadis Bridge was first built in 1814 of wood, but shortly after that, was rebuilt in stone. It has a somewhat Turkish look of three semi-circular arches.

In the spring and summer, the Voidomatis River is a magnet for white-water rafting. This time of year, the water has slowed right down to a trickle in spots, but there were still a few rafting companies trying to eke out the last bit of business.

There are 46 stone-built villages in Zagori, with just a handful big enough to have restaurants or hotels. It used to be an expedition to travel between villages, but now they are all linked with good roads. Tourism here is still very low-key, which is fortunate, since the endless switchbacks would be a challenge in any kind of traffic. We encountered this goatherd and his flock on a straightaway.

The villages are all of a type, although some are more beautiful than others. It is mystifying to me how they were built in such difficult conditions, but they are also of such fine quality and finishes. Obviously the building materials are easily found – everything here is stone – the buildings, the walls, the roads. This would be a tough place to be a toddler – no soft place to land.

Some examples:

Another thing I found quite fascinating was how restaurants in these tiny villages managed to stock supplies. May of them would be an hour away at least from the city of Ioannina, and we did not once see delivery trucks. Still, we managed to eat very well – Greek salad, grilled meats, phyllo veggie pies, etc. The ambiance of the outdoor cafes really added to our enjoyment.

We stopped by this cafe for an iced coffee, and were soon joined by a group of hikers who had been hiking for four hours already, and had another two hours to go. They had spent the night before in a mountain refuge, where, as one of the hikers pointed out to me, “there were no showers.”
So far, we have met no Canadians, and just one American couple. Tourists are largely Greek, Israeli, German, Scottish or English. These little cafes are ideal for exchanging a few words with fellow tourists – always a highlight of travel for us.

Stephen took this shot of a church and the classic tree found in Greece – the plane tree. Apparently, the month of October is the high season in this area, as the hillsides are transformed into a blaze of autumn colour. It would be an ideal time to come for hiking as well, with lower daytime temperatures.

A shot of the ancient monastery, the Agia Paraskevi, built in 1412. It is tucked right into the mountain, overlooking the gorge. It no longer functions as a monastery, but is open to the public to walk around the exterior. We reached this monastery by walking down a one-km. path from the village of Monodendri.

Back to the future. We feel privileged to have spent a few days here, and selfishly hope that tourism is kept at a sustainable level. It would be heartbreaking to imagine chain hotels and rows of tourist shops.

The Zagori region will be one of our cherished memories of this trip.