Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
get to. Note that it's also the only one that closes during lunch. It's occupied by nuns
keen to peddle trinkets and memorabilia, but the buildings - bombed during World
War II and then raided during the civil war - are disappointing: the obvious one to
miss if you're short of time. That said, the fifteenth-century refectory contains an
apsidal fresco of the Virgin, beyond the museum graced by a fine
Epitáfios
(Good
Friday bier) covering embroidered in gold thread. The trail towards Kalambáka from
Ayíou Stefánou is disused and dangerous - return to Ayías Triádhos to use the
descending path described above.
The Píndhos Mountains
Continuing west from Metéora, you soon encounter the rugged peaks, forested ravines
and turbulent rivers of the
Píndhos
Mountains
. Over the centuries, this range has
insulated the communities and culture here from outside interference, securing a large
measure of autonomy even under Ottoman rule. Yet, today it's the mountains
themselves that provide the strongest attraction. Their physical beauty is stunning, with
limestone peaks, dramatic
gorges
and dense forest contrasting with stone-built
villages
and arched packhorse
bridges
.
Roughly halfway over the mountains stands
Métsovo
, the most convenient venue for
alpine life Greek-style, plus a taste of the local
Vlach
culture. Down on the plain below
is the fascinating lakeside city of
Ioánnina
, capital of
Epirus
, the last region of Greece to
be liberated from the Turks. Farther to the north, back up in the Píndhos mountains,
authentic stone hamlets and the stunning
Víkos Gorge
provide unforgettable scenery
and hiking opportunities.
3
Métsovo
MÉTSOVO
lies just west of the Katára pass, 1km of the Vía Egnatía. It's a small, touristy
alpine town of some 8,000 inhabitants, occupying two sides of a plunging ravine and
guarded by the forbidding peaks of the Píndhos range to the south and east. It's pretty
enough, with tiers of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century stone houses spilling
downhill to and past the main platía, where a few old men still loiter after Sunday Mass
in traditional dress (black caps and pompom-topped shoes).
If you avoid the high seasons (midsummer and Christmas/Easter weeks), stay
overnight and take in the surroundings, the place can seem magical. In season, Métsovo
makes a favourite target for tour buses full of Greeks, who are catered for by shops
selling kitsch wooden souvenirs and “traditional” weavings (mostly mass-produced
these days). Even the roof tiles of many traditional houses have been replaced with
garish modern versions.
Nonetheless, it would be a shame to omit Métsovo altogether, for its history and
status as the
Vlach
“capital”
make it unique. Positioned astride the most viable route
over the Píndhos, it secured a measure of independence, both political and economic,
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD: THE KATÁRA PASS
West of Kalambáka, the 1694-m
Katára Pass
carries the only high-altitude paved road across
the central Píndhos Mountains to link the regions of Thessaly and Epirus, which lie on either
side. One of the most spectacular drives in the country, this centuries-old route switchbacks
through folds in the enormous peaks rising more than 2300m around
Métsovo
. From
November to April the pass is snowploughed - although these days the old, twisty road is
entirely optional. Sixty enormous tunnels linked by long viaducts have been bored through
the ridges here as part of the recently completed
Vía Egnatía
expressway, which now
smoothly flows all the way to the west coast.
