Thessaloniki to Zagorohoria – Private Day Trip

One of the 46 traditional villages of Zagorochoria.
Vitsa is one of the largest villages of the central Zagori region, in northwestern Greece. It is situated at an altitude of 955m on a mountain slope near the Vikos gorge with roads linking it to Greek National Road 6. Vitsa is famous for its old double-arched bridge of Missios.

Monodendri village is part of the municipal unit of Central Zagori in the Zagori region, and is built at a height of 1.060 meters (3,480 ft) and retains much of the traditional stone-built architecture.
Near the village lies the historic monastery of Agia Paraskevi, built on the edge of the Vikos Gorge. The monastery was founded in 1412 by Michael Voevodas Therianos and the people of Vitsa, as stated on an inscription, during the reign of Carlo I Tocco. It was a property of the monastery of St Elias but was refounded as a nunnery in 1778. The panoramic view from the monastery is spectacular.

As we travel from the village of Monodendri to Oxia, you’ll encounter this forest of stones, formed by structures of fine limestone. Over many years, corrosion and weathering of the slabs have resulted in this impressive sight. The scene becomes even more special as the stone forest is nestled within a traditional forest of oaks and maples.

North of Monodendri, a narrow road leads to this cliffside lookout into the depths of the Vikos Gorge. En route, we pass through the Petrino Dasos (Stone Forest), which is not a petrified forest, but an area of towers of what look like delicately stacked slabs of stone – Zagori's stone houses in the rough, basically.

The Greek sculptor Costas Varotsos took inspiration from these formations for some of his work, including the famous stacked-glass Dromeas (aka 'Running Man') in Athens.

Vikos Gorge: the kingdom of the river and the eagles
A unique geological phenomenon: a schism in the earth that could have only been created by a divine hand. The narrowest section of the two sides is just 1,100m wide and its depths reach 900m. The Vikos Gorge is the realm of eagles, of rare medicinal herbs and steep vertical rocks. It begins from the bridge of Kokoros and ends at the bridge of Aristi. Passing through it is an experience of a lifetime.

It is an impressive one-arched bridge located between the villages Koukouli, Dilofo and Kipoi in Central Zagori. It was built in 1750 and it bridges Voidomatis river. It owes its name to Noutsos Kontodimos, resident of Vradeto, who financed the construction of the bridge at that time. There is an inscription on a black stone with the year of 1750 or 1752 (Lampridis also mentions Noutsos Karamersinis as the constructor in 1768).

The stone bridge is also known as the bridge of Kokkoris, as Kokkoris from the village of Koukouli, owner of a nearby mill, funded its renovation in 1910. Later it was also renovated by Alexis Noutsos, son of N. Karamesinis and therefore it is called by several people "Alexi's Bridge". The stone bridge, although very old, is still in good condition.

Megalo Papingo and Mikro Papingo: famous winter brothers.
Nightime. Your footsteps echo in the cobblestone streets, the moonlight bathes Mt Astrakas, rising high above Megalo and Mikro Papingo. The light in the windows of the guest houses warms the cold darkness. The smell of burnt wood from the fireplace awakens childhood memories. You’re already dreaming of enchanting evenings in your stone villa, with its fireplace, flokati rug and comfortable bed.

Ovires: natural water sculptures
Right next to the road that connects Megalo and Mikro Papingo, stop to see the "Ovires". They look like small lakes and have blue water and rocks carved by powerful running streams. If you go during summer, you’ll be able to take a swim.

One of amazing bridges at Zagori, near Kipi village, is the bridge of Plakidas or Kalogheriko. Once it was wooden, but it was changed to a stone bridge in 1814 by a monk named Seraphim, living in Vitsa monastery, that's why the name Kalogheriko (=monk's). The other name, Plakidas' bridge, comes from Alexis Plakidas and his brother who restored it in 1865.

In central Zagori, near Koukouli village, 39km from Ioannina, at Voidomatis river, Noutsos Kondodimos from Vradeto made one more of the 47 stone bridges of Zagori – Kokorou bridge. On those days, donating money for a bridge was a "great benefaction".