Konitsa: The unspoiled frontier - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 06/Oct/2011 - The symbol of the town is its single-arched stone bridge, which took 48 years to construct (1823-71)

By Haris Argyropoulos

Greece’s western region of Epirus, dominated by the Pindos mountain range, is a haven for nature lovers, as it is characterized by rivers with plentiful waters throughout the year, lush vegetation, canyons with stunning views and old stone bridges.

The region’s relative isolation and the rugged terrain traditionally prevented the development of infrastructure and helped keep it unspoiled. In recent decades, the district of the Zagoria villages, in Ioannina prefecture, has become an increasingly popular destination -- and justly so -- but Konitsa, a small town of about 4,000 directly to the north, still largely escapes the trend and is mostly frequented by fans of mountain and water sports.

Konitsa is built on a slope at an elevation of 600 meters on Mt Trapezitsa, 65 kilometers from the city of Ioannina, above a fertile valley where the Aoos River is joined by Voidomatis and then goes on to meet Sarantaporos at the Albanian border.

The town does not have many traditional houses left -- these are mostly in the upper part – due to its extensive destruction during World War II and the ensuing civil strife, but all buildings have red-tiled roofs.

Several impressive old Turkish mansions still stand in various degrees of decay -- including that of Hamko, mother of the notorious regional ruler Ali Pasha -- which has been restored. Under Ottoman rule, Konitsa was an administrative center, with a population larger than that of today, and had a sizable Turkish aristocracy.

The symbol of the town is its single-arched stone bridge, which took 48 years to construct (1823-71) and is claimed to be the largest in the Balkans (40 meters long and 20 m high): Naming the nearby district of the Mastorohoria villages after its famous stonemasons was appropriate.

A two-hour walk along a path in a southwesterly direction that begins at the bridge and runs alongside the Aoos River brings you to the Stomiou Monastery, situated in a breathtaking spot over a narrow pass of the gorge.

The village of Ano Kleidonia, about 7 kilometers south of Konitsa, offers superb views of the Astraka bluffs, the Vikos Gorge -- said to be the one of the world’s deepest canyons -- and the Konitsa valley.

The Vikos-Aoos National Park, known as “the park of the great summits,” extends from the wild and majestic gorge of the Aoos River in the north to the Vikos Gorge in the south.

Going west, Bourazani (“battle trumpeter” in Turkish), 12 kilometers from Konitsa, has an excellent private wildlife park which includes boar, sheep, wild goats and deer. The park, which stretches over 200 hectares, features a hotel, a restaurant and cafe, a restored water-powered flour mill and a natural carpet laundry.

Further west, 18 kilometers from Konitsa and merely 200 m from the border with Albania, is the historic, medieval Monastery of Molyvdoskepasti. A new border entry post has recently opened at nearby Mertzani. In the village itself, a stone’s throw from the border, there is a memorial comprising the cannons of the Greco-Italian war of 1940 and a maintained military observation point.

Uphill from the village of Molyvdoskepasto, via the Pogoniskos canyon, is the Taxiarches Monastery and a camping area with a natural mountain balcony which offers a beautiful view of the pass to the south where the three rivers converge. This pass was used by the Romans in antiquity and the Italians in 1940.

Going north, 11 kilometers on the road from Konitsa to Kozani, turn right to Molista and Ganadio -- two beautiful but sparsely inhabited villages where some fine traditional houses can be seen. A few kilometers later, in Kavasila, there are hot mineral springs, while in Amarantos, 32 km north at an elevation of 1,260 m, one can enjoy a steam bath amid the fir trees. All villages in the area impress the visitor with their varied architecture of large stone houses and magnificent mountain views.

The area is excellent for hiking, mountain and river sports, with the range of options including jeeping, horse riding, angling and archery.

Transport & basic info

The best way to tour the area is by car. Ioannina is located 445 kilometers northwest of Athens, has an airport with several connections with the capital and ample car rental facilities. An intercity bus from Athens (100 Kifissou, tel 210.512.9363/65) takes about seven hours. From Thessaloniki, traveling time by car is about two-and-a-half hours. Roads in some areas require all-purpose vehicles. Konitsa area phone code: 26550; police: 22202; health center: 23111; municipal authority: 22191.

Where to stay

All rates for double rooms include breakfast. Grand Hotel Dentro (29365), new; Hotel Kougias (23830), in the center; Stomio (23777), apartments with excellent views; Konitsa Mountain Resort (29390), new hotel; Gefyri (23780), next to the bridge; Bourazani (61283), fine views of the wildlife park; Artemis (24774), rented apartments; Archontiko tou Serifi (24090), in Molista, guesthouse.

Where to eat

Kapnismeno Tsoukali, in the center, for goat casserole and rooster or rabbit stifado; Platanakia, just outside town on the road to Vasilitsa, superb grilled meats; Dentro, on the main street, for boar cooked in wine; Sourloukas, near the town hall, for kokoretsi (grilled offal) and lamb on a spit; Serifis, in Molista, for chicken casserole, meatballs and pumpkin pie. The area has good cheese and meat products; try the traditional pastry, sker bourek; buy jams and other preserves from Marmelodia.

What to see

Konitsa has an open-air exhibition of stone sculptures in honor of the area’s famous masons who traveled far and wide; Pyrsogianni, 20 kilometers north, has a museum with 2,000 photos of the work of these masons; Molyvdoskepasti is considered one of Greece’s most important monasteries for its iconography and architecture; the road east, leading to the Vasilitsa ski center, goes through several lush villages worth seeing: Elefthero, Palioseli (with a beautifully decorated church), Pades and Armata.

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