Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Xenonas Tsarbou
BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$
( 27950 81406;
www.xenonas-tsarbou.gr
;
d incl breakfast from €70; )
This slick-feeling
place is a little incongruous in its converted historic stone building. Slightly cramped but
smart rooms with gold and velvet trimmings. The ground floor boasts a cosy bar with
fireplace.
I Stemnitsa
TAVERNA $
( 27950 81371; mains €4-14; lunch & dinner)
It may be the only taverna open year-round
in Stemnitsa, but you could do worse. Tables are under giant brollies and good, honest (if
slighly repetitive) dishes are on offer. The local butcher owns the establishment, so ex-
pect quality, hearty cuts of meat.
Getting There & Away
There is one bus each weekday to/from Tripoli (€4.10, one hour). The bus to Tripoli
heads to Dimitsana (€5). A taxi to Dimitsana costs around €10, Podromos (walking start-
ing point) €15, Ancient Gortys €25 and the Monastery of Filosofos €20. Times change
seasonally.
WORTH A TRIP
SUSTAINABLE FOOD SOJOURN
All foodies should head to
Zerzova
( 6932847358, 27950 31753; Panaghia; mains €6-15;
lunch & dinner Fri-Mon Sep-May)
, a tiny eatery located 14km southwest of Dimitsana.
Why? It ticks all the right boxes. Sustainable practices? Tick - the husband-and-
wife team collect all wild herbs and cultivate their own produce. Home cooking?
Tick - even Greek grandmothers are happy to come here. Traditional? Tick again -
it's in a lovely old building with a cellar below. In a village with only seven residents,
crowds nevertheless flock here for this place's simple charm (for it is simple)...and
much more.
Dimitsana Δημητσάνα
POP 340
Built amphitheatrically on two hills at the beginning of the Lousios Gorge, Dimitsana
(dih-mi-
tsah
-nah), 11km north of Stemnitsa, is a delightful medieval village. This small
place played a significant role in the country's struggle for self-determination. Its Greek
school, founded in 1764, was an important spawning ground for the ideas leading to the
