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Area information PindosThe Pindos is a lengthy chain of mountains, which runs from north-west to south-east, north-west of Greece. It forms a natural barrier between the district Epiros (west) and Macedonia and Thessalia (east). Ioannina is a central town, where the two large roads, to Konitsa-Albania and Macedonia or to Metsovo-Katarapas and the Meteora monasteries. The Pindos borders on Albania are in the north. 
Click on the photo for Panorama 3 National ParksAs shown in the general map there are two natural reservations in northern Pindos. Northern of Ioannina is the National Park Vikos-Aoos. This is famous because of the spectacular Vikos gorge, one of the deepest in Europe. The Astraka, at the east, looks out this depth. On the other side begins the plateau which further goes up to the east till the knife-sharp milled edge of the Tymphi mountain, which is situated extremely high over the Aoos river. The highest top of the Tymphi mountain is Gamila (2497 m) with a splendid view over the Aoos and on the Smolikas (2637 m), the highest but one mountain in Greece (Olympus is 2917 m). Tymphi as well as Smolikas have a mountain-lake on their high plateaus, called Dhrakolimni.
Fauna - hikers - wanderersIn Epirus, in the woods, are found many wild boars (pigs), wild cats and hinds. Other big mammals are to be found only in the high mountains. There are wild goats, some bears are special in the Aoos ravine. Although they are officially protected, they are hunted illegally, so they are very shy. Wolves are found especially on the north-west, near the Albania frontiers. Also various kinds of snakes and the Greek land tortoise are found in the pricking bushes. Big birds of prey are the lammergeyers, eagles and hawks. On the mountain slopes one finds large woods and meadows, where still some 50.000 sheep are wandering in herds. Shepherds of the Vlach-and the Sarakatsani run here yet a semi-nomadic life. The big wild sheep dogs are less idyllic, but we did not have problems with them. Also people warn us about wandering Albanians, who do not have anything anymore and therefore they do not have anything to lose. At the Greek-Albanian frontiers there is the army, but practically it is quiet (only it is advised not to go alone).
Zagori - the villagesThis is the part of the country where we have wandered about, between the Aoos gorge (north), Mitsikeli mountains (south) and the roads Ioannina-Metsovo and Ioannina-Karditsa. In this still isolated area many villages are connected with old donkey paths. During the winter many villages are cut off by snow from the outer world. Villages as Mikro Papingo and Tsepelovo have kept their own character, with houses from stones. Old arch-bridges from the Turkish period are among other found near Kipi and Vovoussa. Vovoussa is the only village near the Aoos river and also the only that is not closed by the snow during the winter. Vradheto is the highest situated village (1340 m) a typical summer residence of the shepherd-community. The nearby situated village Beloi gives a very nice view at the Vikos gorge. During the winter it is almost deserted, the same as the other isolated villages. However tourism appears here more and more. Many Greeks form the town have their holiday house here. From Ioannina there is good, but not frequent, bus communications to all villages. In and around the Vikos gorge many excursionists appear, which results in many new restaurants and taverns in Monodendri and Megalo Papingo. Forest paths have become wide roads of asphalt. Megalo Papingo is probably the oldest village, already mentioned in Byzantine documents. Together with the nearby situated Mikro Papingo, it is a good starting place for journeys, with good boarding houses, which are a little expensive.
IoanninaIoannina is at the height of 480 m near the lake of Pamvotis, the largest fresh water lake at the foot of Mitsikeli mountains. Pindos is also water-parting, so that the voluminous downfall flows to the area near Ioannina to a large extent. The oldest part of Ioannina is the citadel with picturesque streets and old houses which are situated on a peninsula on the lake. It is understood that the history of these sophisticated places go back till 500 for Christ, but since 1020 they are in written papers. In 1453 the Turks lay hands on it (till 1913), many things still show it. There are many historical things worth seeing, as mosques and palaces, monasteries and fortifications from the Byzantine period. The archaeological museum is worth while. Around the citadel is a nice boulevard with shady plane trees along the lake.
Practical infoA good time to wander around is May or June. It is not too hot then (on the highest spots there are still snow fields) and you see most of the flowers. At noon it can be rather hot at 1000 m. It is difficult though to take a nap. We always started early in the morning, in order to arrive at a place of destination most often at the beginning of noon. In most villages there is a restaurant where you can have lunch or dinner. Wherever we passed villages, we have made use of it, also to limit the quantity of food which we were taking with us. If you will march the whole route, you have to camp and to take with you a quantity of food (weight of backpack 16 till 22 kg). If you make use of hotels, boarding houses and mountain cottages you are limited to journeys of one till three days. There are also organized trips with transport of luggage, with which it is possible to make longer trips. |
