With our motorhome, Campervan Odyssey, shortly before August 15, we set off for eastern Zagori. There are few accommodations on this side of Zagori. As its villages have not been exploited for tourism as much as the other cosmopolitan villages of western and central Zagori, the solution of mobile living was ideal. We loaded up our jackets and autumn clothes, as Zagori is quite cool in August, charged our devices, and set off on another road trip.

On the road from Kalambaka to Metsovo, amid the many shades of green, before reaching the Egnatia Highway, we made the necessary stop to rest and refuel in the Analipsi area. After filling our water bottles with fresh water from the stone fountain, we crossed over to “Analipsi.” A café, tavern, and grocery store all in one, since 1948, it is the ideal stop for wine and pies from the mainland. In the quiet of nature, the sounds of birdsong lulled us. But the chatter did not come from the trees but from wooden cages placed opposite each other. It was as if we were caught between a barrage of chirping and singing. Continuing on our way, we passed Metsovo and headed towards the ski center. Our destination was the springs of Aoos.

The Aoos hydroelectric power station

The Politses plateau has always been a place of great geographical importance. It was the most important passage from Epirus to Macedonia, and during the Ottoman occupation it served as a military station, or “karaouli.” Between 1981 and 1990, a large hydroelectric project was constructed there, with the aim of exploiting part of the water from the Aoos springs to produce electricity. The grandeur of nature shapes landscapes of unimaginable beauty, but sometimes human intervention leads to similar results. And so, like a small cosmogony, an artificial lake was created at 1,350 meters, amid dense vegetation and alpine scenery. The lake is small, about 11 square kilometers, with varying depths: in some places less than a meter, in others reaching 7 meters or even 80 meters near the Public Power Corporation (ΔΕΗ) dam. This is Lake Aoos, artificial but with 100% natural beauty, rich flora and fauna, wonderful waters and imposing meadows, right in the heart of the Pindos, somewhere between the Valia Calda National Park and the Vikos-Aoos National Park. Small lakes, streams, surrounding meadows, a lacy coastline, green fjords, and small islands—this is the new image of the plateau. On the eastern shore there is a forest of black pines, on the western shore a forest of beeches. As for the fauna, its diversity is surprising: cuckoos, black storks, kingfishers, herons, but also salamanders, frogs, bears, wolves, hares, foxes, and even chamois. The waters of the lake are home to trout, eels, and grayling, thanks to the subalpine climate. It is an ideal place for hiking around the lake or skipping across the meadows. Along the way, we saw beautiful, well-tended crops, with lettuce, potatoes, and strawberry seedlings, farmers and beekeepers at work. Sheep and goats rule the road. You have to wait for them to pass, count them yourself, and enjoy them. And if your hand automatically reaches for the horn, hold back and enjoy their herd walking and cheerful climbing.

Eastern Zagori, “Vlachozagoro”

The name Zagori comes from the Slavic prefix Za (=behind) and the accusative form of the noun gora (=mountain), meaning the area behind the mountain. During the Ottoman occupation, Zagori enjoyed a privileged status of autonomy and self-government, which allowed it to develop economically and flourish.

The villages of eastern Zagori are scattered throughout a stunning mountainous landscape with dense forests. Greveniti, Flabourari, and Tristeno spread out peacefully and blissfully, preserving their cultural traditions, but not their population numbers. In general, the villages resemble each other, as they preserve the mainland architecture and rules of mountain community life. According to these rules, the village develops around a central square, usually creating three neighborhoods: the upper, middle, and lower. The middle neighborhood is the center of the village. All the stone-paved alleys lead there. The square is the center of social, economic, and cultural activities. Paved, with a fountain, a plane tree, and a stone circular or octagonal structure around it, it is an ideal place to relax. The centuries-old plane trees are now monuments of nature. Their branches embrace the squares from end to end, offering welcoming shade, and if they had mouths, they would have many stories to tell.

Around the square are the community store, the inn, the elementary school, and the church. In other words, all forms of community authority. Immediately after, there is a circle that brings together the homes of the wealthier families, while in the next concentric circle are the homes of the less wealthy, built with the same materials but smaller in size. The opening of a road caused changes to the traditional settlement structure, as the square lost its traditional use. This was especially true when the provincial road was built on the outskirts of the settlement, as was the case in Greveniti. Stairs, bridges, watermills, fountains, threshing floors, terraces, and inns are scattered around, aesthetically integrated and organically linked to the surrounding area. They harmonize and connect not only with houses, squares, churches, monasteries, and chapels, but also with individual trees, groves, forests, rocks, caves, springs, and rivers.

The village fountain complies with the specifications of the Zagorian architecture. Made of local stone, with all the skill of the craftsmen, it is still today a focal point and a mandatory passage. In the past, of course, it was closely linked to the social life and emotional world of the people. How many expectations, how many loves and how many passions filled the air around it?

The churches in Zagori also follow their own architectural style. Built with local materials, stone and wood, they are in perfect harmony with the natural environment. They have a large external porch with arches, like a kind of vestibule that protected the faithful from the weather. In many monastery churches, the door is very low. The reason? To prevent people from entering on horseback!

The population of villages is misleading, as it can be divided into three categories: the census population, the actual population, and the summer population. Usually, the permanent population is half the census population, while the summer population is three times the actual population. If you come in the summer, you wonder where all these children came from. The village is filled with young voices, reminiscent of the days when the primary school was still in operation. In summer, we forget reality and its repetitive pattern that applies to all mountain villages in the Greek countryside. The age pyramid is aging, there is intense abandonment, and there are few productive activities. Forestry and livestock farming, despite their stagnation, contribute to the economic life of the area but do not motivate younger people to stay in their hometown or return. Tourism development, where possible, is currently the only incentive.

The bridges

The rugged terrain, the intense relief, the many rivers and streams, especially during the winter months, necessitated the construction of bridges. During the heyday of Zagori, wealthy families financed their construction. Today, about forty-five stone bridges, small or large, with one, two, or even three arches, survive in Zagori, scattered throughout the area, unsurpassed examples of folk architecture. Stone and vaulted, with stone arches, with water flowing beneath them unimpeded. It continues its journey to the sea, indifferent to earthly and human matters. The connection of rivers is also a human endeavor. It naturally obeys the conditions of nature, as no bridge offends the aesthetics of the space. We saw two bridges. They are characterized by their elegance, bold construction, simplicity combined with functionality, examples of the master builders’ excellent technical knowledge.

The bridge of Goura

Southwest of Tristeno, 800 meters from the road, after a fifteen-minute walk, we found the Gkoura stream, which flows into the Varda River, and the bridge of the same name. The bridge of Goura is single-arched, with a stone-paved deck, while the parapet consists of rectangular stones of varying heights, placed upright in a symmetrical manner. From below, it looked like a teenager’s head with spiky hair. Quite messy. We found it, tangled up in dry grass and thorns, when we walked over its stone back and admired the creations of nature around us.

The bridge of Kourtia

At the location of Kourtia or Kourtiani (which means wolf place, as kurt = wolf in Turkish), the bridge that spans the Vardas River is double-arched with two additional relief openings. Its location was at the crossroads of two important communication arteries: one crossed all parts of Zagori, while the other led from Ioannina to Grevena via Vovousa. Only 12 minutes away from the monastery of Voutsa, going down the dirt road between the vineyards, we found the stream. We crossed it and arrived in five minutes. Despite the ease of the description, there were difficulties. The signage was incomplete to non-existent, the route after crossing the stream was through dry and thorny grass, and the bridge was unkempt. Even the locals no longer knew exactly where the bridge was located or what condition we would find it in. Although very accessible, it seemed almost inaccessible to us. Nevertheless, the sign next to the bridge was brand new and extremely informative, which was contradictory and quite surreal.

The construction of bridges was undertaken by the köprülis (from the Turkish word Köprü = bridge), led by the master builder and followed by the journeymen: the carpenters, the masons, the joiners, the plasterers, and the stonemasons. Lastly, the apprentices and the mules carrying the tools. The köprüleides left on St. George’s Day for their travels, where they worked and built, and returned on St. Demetrius’ Day. Today, bridges may have lost their basic communicative function, but they continue to serve as symbols. The master builder’s wife, human sacrifice, the foundation of a great public work, the price for its consolidation.

Tristeno

Tristeno is located on the western slopes of the central Pindos mountain range at an altitude of 940 meters. Today it is called Tristeno because of the three narrow passages between hills through which streams flow, but its old name, until 1927, was Drestenikon in the Province of Dodona. Like the other villages of eastern Zagori, Tristeno was burned down by the Germans in 1943, resulting in the alteration of its architecture. However, the church of Agios Georgios preserves the classic Zagori architecture. The village’s landmark is the traditional stone watermill. It was originally a double mill, with two production units, capable of grinding 100 okades of grain per hour. If you want to wash your rugs and blankets, you will find a working watermill in Tristeno. We were shown around by two children on summer vacation, who come to visit their grandparents and spend the summer in the village. For me, this was touching, because spending the summer in the village with my grandparents, with friends and cousins you see at the same time every year, builds memories that you will carry with you forever, when you are lucky enough to be the grandfather or grandmother who welcomes children to the village. We took a break at “Stou Thanasi” in the central square, where you will find everything you desire, from coffee and food to music and exceptional photographic material depicting another era.

Greveniti

Just 2 kilometers away from Tristeno lies Greveniti, built at an altitude of 980 meters, 44 kilometers from Ioannina. It is one of the Vlach villages in the Zagori region, and its inhabitants are engaged in livestock farming and logging. It has numerous fountains and running waters, and the view is magnificent. It is lost in the green, surrounded by forests. In ancient times, Greveniti was one of the most famous villages in eastern Zagori, with a school and a magistrate’s court, as well as the Malameio hospital. The main church of the village, in Mesochori, is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and in front of it is the large square with the plane tree and the old school. Another church in the village is that of Agios Dimitrios, with interesting 17th-century frescoes, where the cemetery is located today. During the Occupation, Greveniti, like other villages in Zagori, paid a heavy price in blood, being burned down by the Germans. Today, it has been designated a “Martyr Village,” and a memorial bearing the names of the 22 executed residents has been erected in their memory.

Cultural associations are the ones that mediate between the present and the past of all the villages in the region. In Greveniti, at the excellent “Petridion Educational Center,” we attended a lecture on clothing and its evolution. At the same time, a photographic exhibition was taking place, followed by other interesting lectures and events over the next few days. Folklore studies and records help young people learn and older people remember. The authentic costumes were destroyed when the village was burned down during the German occupation, so the recorders’ anxiety about the correct rendering of the costumes was evident. The historian and researcher Leandros Vranousis, who represents the first post-war generation of modern Greek scholars, comes from Greveniti. His fields of research include the work of Rigas Feraios and his precursors, the spread of Phanariot songs, and their comparative analysis in the Balkan region.

With Greveniti as base, every year, the municipality of Zagori and the company P&I organize the “Greveniti Bike by P&I” cycling race, dedicated to the Day of Remembrance for the Martyr Villages. It is an iconic route, Greveniti – Flabourari – Elatochori – Kipoi – Maniatades, which connects the historical memory of the martyred villages of Zagori. This year, there were over 136 participants, demonstrating the momentum of the project.

After Greveniti, in the direction of Vovousa, there is the Zourika stream, whose waters are used for trout farming. Nearby is Lake Kapetanou, or “lake with water lilies.” It covers an area of about two acres and has a circumference of 180 meters. It is a secret habitat hidden among tall black pines and beeches, with benches for resting and picnicking. The water lilies on the surface of the lake look like something out of a fairy tale. If you look closely, you will see newts, water snakes, and frogs, rare flowers, orchids, and hydrophilic plants. Just be careful. When you bend over the waters of the lake, remember Narcissus!

Flabourari

A beautiful, green 11-kilometer route connects Greveniti with Flabourari, at an altitude of 1,001 meters. It winds through lush pine and beech forests with plenty of cool springs around us. Like Greveniti and Tristeno, Flabourari also experienced the destructive fury of the Germans, who set it on fire twice. The village lost much of its old architectural character, but the church of Agios Nikolaos, built in 1774, with a hexagonal bell tower and a large porch, was saved. And in Flabourari, the pattern repeats itself. Stone and greenery prevail everywhere, as does the triptych of church-square-school without children. However, the children of August 15 bring life to the square with balls and games reminiscent of other times. Really, who plays hide-and-seek and tag in cities anymore? Some of the people at the surrounding tables are bothered by the balls and the children’s voices. Perhaps, however, they should be more bothered by the deafening silence of children when they are immersed in the world of their mobile phones. In Flabourari, there are the camp facilities of the “Arkouderma” scout refuge, and so for a few days a year, the young campers significantly lower the average age of the residents. There are four peaks that attract mountaineering clubs: Tsouka Rossa, Tsouka Gina, Flega, and Flaboura. Tsouka is the Vlach word for peak. Mountaineering routes are organized, but not hiking routes, because the lush vegetation obscures the paths between the villages.

Holy Monastery of Pogoniotissa Voutsa

The monastery of Voutsa, the oldest monastery in the area, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, is located between the villages of Greveniti, Flabourari, and Doliani. It is situated between a wooded hillside and a large vineyard, above the eastern bank of the Vardas River. It is built in a key location, on the royal road that led to Constantinople. This route was also followed by Emperor Constantine Pogonatus (668-685 AD) on his return from Sicily, founding some of the most remarkable monasteries along the way, such as Molyvdoskepasti in Konitsa and Voutsa in Zagori. The monastery was destroyed during the Turkish conquest of Epirus in 1430, with only the katholikon surviving. The self-governing status of the communities prevented the settlement of Turkish populations and the construction of mosques and minarets, and so for centuries the monastery remained the religious center of eastern Zagori, where travelers and believers found refuge. The holocaust of Greveniti in 1943 left the monastery half-ruined, the villages of the area charred, the wooden beams smoking, and the ruins in ruins. After several years of inactivity, decay, and desolation, the monastery remains a humble retreat that soothes the soul, a monument that connects the present with the Byzantine past. Today, the katholikon, the cell complexes, the perimeter fortification wall, and the frescoes with various iconographic themes have been preserved through numerous reconstructions. The wine produced by the monastery is interesting and renowned. It has one of the largest and most mountainous monastic vineyards. Its 85 acres are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Gewürztraminer, Vlachiko, and a unique local variety, “Vlachavona.”

We encountered a minor problem regarding access to the monastery, as there were no clear visiting hours. We rang the bell and the monk opened the door. On August 22, there is an evening service and a festival, with the modern features of festivals, perhaps distancing themselves from their old meaning, when the festival meant “to accompany, to gather and celebrate together, to rejoice together, to converse together and be happy together, to agree, to dance together and depart together.” This was the life of people when they knew less, lived more simply, and were content with what nature and their own hands provided them.

Mobile living

When it comes to the experience of mobile living in Zagori, the ultimate advantage is the constant change of scenery. Especially when you change your place of accommodation. Traveling with your “shell” like a turtle brings you closer to nature. Because that is your home for a few or many days, depending on your endurance. Whether next to a lake or under trees, near a village or in isolation, in hills and mountains, in forests and on slopes, you choose. A hotel on wheels! The roof tent allows you to wake up and see the landscape you chose the night before.

In all our villages, we were impressed, although it was to be expected in the “generous” region of Epirus, by the phenomenon of benefaction, or immortality through giving. But beyond the benefactors, there are also the ordinary people of the place. Christodoulos and Mary who run the café at the inn in Greveniti, Maria in the square in Mesochori, Vasilis who drove us to the hidden waterfalls, Vasilia with her pies, and so many others are people who care about their place and stubbornly insist on promoting it. Because indeed, the natural environment and the small villages that preserve their traditional character reward the visitor.

We would like to thank Odyssey Campers for introducing us to life on four wheels. The Telemachus vehicle, along with Kirk, Nausica, Nestor, and five other motorhomes, await those who are fascinated by road trips and seek something different and beyond the conventional.