Originally it belonged to the vlach villages of Aoos Valley (Konitsa). However, from a historical point of view, it joined Zagori and in the meantime also differentiated in terms of its characteristics. So today it is part of the cultural and historical unity of Central Zagori.

History and Information about Vrysochori

About the village

Vrysochori used to belong to the Vlachohoria of Lakka of Aoos (Elefthero, Paleoseli, Pades, Armata and Distrato). Today it is one of the Vlachohoria of Zagori and is part of the historical and cultural unity of Central Zagori.

The exact date of establishment of the settlement is not known. According to tradition, before Vrysochori developed into a village, it was settled by clans that formed small settlements. The first settlements were established at the time of King Pyrrhus and over time and the increase in population a number of residents moved creating two new settlements.

When later the settlements collapsed and the current village was created, which was named Agios Athanasios after the homonymous chapel of the Saint. The final unification of the settlements probably took place in the 8th AD. century in the context of the organization of the Communities of the Byzantine Empire.

Some of the first inhabitants were Albanian-Blachs, known as Buioi (Boys) or Boiani which comes from the name Buia, brought by the first leaders of this tribe who were wild and initially lived in huts. Also mentioned are members of the same tribe as that of the Bouia, who were blond and fearless.

As for the name, I. Lambridis mentions the village with the type Lesnitsa and the interpretation as “leptokaryona” i.e. a forest with hazelnut trees. According to Konstantinos Oikonomou (Toponymic of Zagori), this is a toponym found in three Slavic languages, attested from the second half of the 14th century and derived from the word lëska “hazelnut”

In 1927, as part of the Hellenization of the names of the villages, Lesinitsa was renamed Vrysochori after the many fountains that the area had.

The course of the village over time

The abundance of water favored grain and horticultural crops.

During the difficult periods such as 1917-1922 and during the German occupation, many residents of the neighboring and other villages of Zagori survived thanks to the products of Vrysochori.

In the past they cultivated vines and there was a large production of wine and tsipouro. Today, there are no vines.

The extensive and dense forests around the area of Vrysochori were a refuge for many wild animals and game. Since ancient times, many residents have had hunting as their daily occupation. Besides the routes in the forest they ensured, especially in difficult times, plenty of meat for their families. In general, hunting events used to be important events for hunters.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the migration of many residents and the search for better living conditions in richer places is observed. At the same time, the financial assistance of the immigrants helped the village to progress from the 18th century and then the village showed great prosperity.

In World War II and the Civil War the residents saw their village burned three times: twice by the Nazis (18/10/1943, July 1944) and once during the Civil War (1945-49).

Vrysochori had the same fate as the rest of the villages in the area. What’s more. the migration of young people to the big cities resulted in the gradual desolation of the village which isolated it, since until 1996 there was only a manual telephone and the road connecting Vrysochori with Paleoselli was asphalted in 2009.

What to see in Vrysochori

St Charalampos

It is a large and impressive church in the main square of the village. The construction of the church began in 1799 and was completed in 1814, when it was inaugurated by the then Metropolitan of Ioannina Gabriel in September 1814.

The expatriates offered the most as well as the Monastery of the Holy Trinity from its income. Before the inauguration there was a controversy as to as to which Saint will be honored. Hierarch Gabriel asked for a list to find out which of the inhabitants offered the most and realizing that those who wanted Saint Charalambos to be honored in this Temple had offered the most money, without any hesitation, he opened the door chanting the apology of Saint Charalambos.

Since then, this holy temple became the symbol for the village and the reference point for every for every resident of Vrysochori, resident and expatriate.

Source: «ΑΓΙΟΣ ΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΣ» 1814-2013, Τα Νέα του Βρυσοχωρίου, τεύχος  84

The Monastery of Holy Trinity

It is located 13 km. from the village and at an altitude of 950m. and dates from the 17th century.

St Athanasios

It is the first and oldest temple of the village. According to tradition when in the 8th AD century, all the settlements were merged into one village, which was named Agios Athanasios.

St Dimitrios

It is built in the center of the settlement and was first built more than four centuries ago.

The church of Kato Panagia

It is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Stone carvings in Vrysochori

Maria Tsoupi – Remou writes about the stone sculptures that are in Vrysochori and that adorn the houses:

More than 100 samples of folk stone sculpture are located in Vrysochori. Stone carving is one of the expressions of traditional handicrafts, such as wood carving, painting, embroidery, weaving, silversmithing, metalworking and ceramics.

It is noteworthy that Vrysochori is one of the few villages of Zagori, where one can often find these excellent examples of the art of pelicans – craftsmen of the masonry company.

All these stone carvings enhance the sense of liberation from the negative forces of Evil. They are amulet “points” that give way to the metaphysical concerns of man and create conditions for experiencing the divine presence.

The stone bridges of Vrysochori

Of the 19 stone bridges of the village that have been recorded, today only six survive, located inside and outside the village:

The bridge of Skarvena is built just outside the village of Vrysochori, next to the provincial road that connects central Zagori with Palioseli and the other villages of Konitsi, in Lakka Aou.

The bridge of Garanis inside the settlement, the bridge of Kοuitsa a small beautiful bridge at the entrance of the village, the bridges of Siannos two small single-arched bridges next to each other in Vrysochori, the bridge of Tsamare (=big) and the bridge of Tzanika (=small).

Source: TΑ ΠΕΤΡΙΝΑ ΓΕΦΥΡΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΒΡΥΣΟΧΩΡΙΟΥ (Αδαμάντιος Τσιομίδης «Τα νέα του Βρυσοχωρίου» τεύχος 102)

Celebrations, Events and Customs in Vrysochori

The active Educational and Mountaineering Association (M.O.S.) founded in 1970 is active by organizing celebrations and events so that the visit of guests and other visitors is pleasant.

The festivals that are celebrated and gather people are: the Festival of Agia Paraskevi on July 26-28 and the Festival of the Holy Trinity at the beginning of June in the monastery of the same name.

The Association also established the Pie Festival. It is a beautiful cultural event and celebration that started in 1991 and continues to this day. Every first Saturday of the third ten days of August, the women of the village make pies that they offer to those present and the program of course includes the traditional feast in the village square.

Theschure

An important, original and unique custom is “THESHOURE”. It is dedicated to the male dead of the village. It is, in a way, an invitation, made with the purpose of honoring the people who have left, bringing back their names aurally to memory and finally reminding the living of the cruel, fatal and inevitable course of man.

Theshure takes place in the square of the church of Agios Charalambos and from the bell tower, which is the tallest of the other two bell towers of the village. The bell can be heard in a very long distance and the location in the Eastern part of the village dominates the entire area. The custom takes place every year during Holy Week, specifically on the afternoon of Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday. It starts about an hour before sunset and ends shortly after sunset.

Source: ΘΕΣΧΟΥΡΕ, Τα Νέα του Βρυσοχωρίου, Αρ. φ. 82, Ευτυχία Οικονόμου – Γεωργοπούλου

The Fairy Fountain

From time immemorial, the power of water and the beauty of nature have been the catalyst for humans and have enlivened their imagination by creating myths with ethereal creatures, the fairies. The myths want them beautiful and inaccessible, but in the end they prove to be vulnerable to love and end up succumbing to the love of handsome and brave men, preferably of royal descent. Why not?A myth can have love, money, and blue bloods. Such a beautiful place as the Fairy Fountain at the roots of Tsuka Rossa could not but have its own fairies.

And as narrated in his book “Vrysochori” by Nikolaos Exarchos, according to the mythical tradition of the village from ancient times at the roots of the mountain is the ravine called Aboutsia in paraphrase of the Vlach word Amoutsa which means fainting.

Up there on the rock a spring gushes. At this point, always according to the legend, the hunters set a trap for wild goats and at the same time they saw the fairies that lived in the caves and went down to the stream and under the waterfall they bathed and spread their headscarves on the stones to dry.

At one point there was only one fairy left, the others may have left that place. At that time the son of the king of Epirus – yes, yes the prince – was looking for his lost sister in the mountains of the area. Arriving at the stream he saw the fairy bathing and rushed to catch her. The prince continued reaching the fountain that exists today. There he finally managed to catch her and finally make her his wife. And as the legend ends, instead of his sister, he found a wife and even a fairy. And they lived well and we were left with the curiosity of what happened to the sister.

The hiking trail with a few difficult passages but on an amazing path in dense vegetation leads to this famous fountain that gushes icy water.

Activities

The location of Vrysochori is suitable for many wonderful hiking, hiking or car routes. There are so many that we list some of them. Very nice route by car is to Gyftokampos, Skamneli and Laista and farther to the villages of Lakka tou Aoos (Paleoselli, Elefthero, Pades, etc.). For the climbers, the peaks of Tymfi (Gamila, Tsouka Rossa) stand up challenging and inviting.

There are many hiking trails, difficult and easy. For the most adventurous and lovers of wild rivers is the crossing of the gorge of Aoos to the Bridge of Konitsa, a very difficult route, since from this point to the Monastery of Stomiou in several places there is not even a path and one must swim to continue its course. Information can be obtained from the Educational and Mountaineering Association of the village.

<p>The post Tribute to Vrysochori: Gazing at the wonderful Tsouka Rossa first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

About the village

It is a beautiful village, in the green, with lots of water, beautiful gardens and fruit trees. Historically, it belongs to the cultural units of Middle Zagori and the villages of the Valley of the Zagoritikos River (Lakka, Zagori). It has some old houses but does not have the traditional color waiting to be seen in a Zagorohori, because in the recent past it was burned twice completely. For the first time in 1912 by the Turks and second in 1943 by the Germans.

We do not know when the original settlement was created, nor why it got its old name, which had various variants, such as Liaskovetsi, Liaskovitsi, Lisakovikon, Lisakovikion, Lisakovets, Lieskoviki. However, the Vlachs were dominating with their particular character and the Vlach language, which was spoken in these regions and also the settlement existed prior to the conquest of the Turks (1430).

Later, however, it was dismantled by the frequent prey raids of Karamourates and Koloniates, and many residents were forced to leave the settlement and seek shelter mainly in Megalo Papigo. (brackets: The Karamouratates and the Koloniates were Arvanitian genders that in the 17th century were paralyzed, equipped and turned into persecutors and robbers of the productive villages. The destruction of most villages is also dated at this period).

From 1732 onwards, residents from the surrounding villages as well as Northern Epirus began to settle. Among them was the great Exarchou family whose member was Pantazis Exarchou who was great man. In the period 1750-1830 the village had a great commercial, financial and intellectual progress, having a Greek school since 1780 and counting 607 inhabitants according to the data of the Ottoman Statistics.

What to see in and around Leptokarya

Churches

Agios Athanasios: At the highest point of the village. An old church, which, according to an inscription, was built in 1859.

Agios Nikolaos: A little further from the central square, next to the school with which it shares the courtyard. It is a three-aisled royal basilica with a strange hagiathi, where the bell tower is, all covered with gray stone, while the floor of both the Katholikon and the Hagiati is lower. Two chronologies are carved in the lintel of the entrance of the Katholikon; one (1771) refers to the founding of the temple and the other (1812) to the hagiography by Anastasios Anagnostou from Tsepelovo. On the inside there is a nice wood carved icon screen, different from other wood carvings (pulpit, despotic throne, etc.), decorated with ivory.

Agios Anastasios

Stone bridges

There are seven stone bridges, three inside and four outside the settlement.

Activities

The village is located in the main zone of the protected area of ​​Pindos National Park and offers excellent hiking trails in forest paths, easy or difficult, close or distant, depending on your strengths. In its forests there are bears and wild boars nesting.

Events

On the 26th of July, in Agia Paraskevi, every year there is a feast of the village, where all expatriate Leptokaryotes have the opportunity to meet. On this occasion the Cultural Association of Leptokaria, “TO LIASKOVETSI”, organizes other events (music, exhibitions, etc.).

Nowadays, there are very few permanent residents, who gather in the evenings at the village’s unique cafe, which serves tsipouro, coffee and local sweets. On July 26, in Agia Paraskevi, every year there is a feast, where all the expatriate Leptokaryotes have the chance to meet.

<p>The post Leptokarya – A beautiful mountain settlement first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

The origin of the name is believed to come from the surname of Vourgarelis, which was a logger in the region, or from Bulgarian loggers who settled here due to forests and running water for the transfer of buildable timber to Arta.

History and Information

According to the philologist Vaso Rapti:

Athamania

The history of the village is related to the history of the wider region of Athamania, as this was one of its centers. Athamania took its name from the mythical king Athamantas, who reigned in the Orchomenos of Boeotia and after the murder of his son Learchos he migrated to Athamania and became its king.

The most important king was Aminandros (220-184 BC), who organized the state. After the death of Aminandros, the kingdom was abolished and the area was administered by the public of the Athamanians. Macedonian currencies certify their submission to Macedonia. During the period of the Roman occupation, residents were forced to live in Nikopolis, resulting in a decrease in the population.

From the 3rd century. BC, Celtic nomads settled in the area, leaving a lot of toponyms, not Greek.

The Turkish rule

In 1820, when the Turks fought with Ali Pasha, the Klephts (self-appointed soldiers, anti-Ottoman insurgents, who lived in the countryside when Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire) of the area and Markos Botsaris were assembled at the monastery of Ag. Georgios, in Vourgareli, to prepare the uprising in the area of ​​Arta. A second meeting must have taken place, on the same spot, before May 30, 1821, with the blessings of Abbot Christopher. It was attended by G. Bacolas Karaiskakis, M. Koutelidas and 200 Captains, with the aim of liberating Arta.

Officially, the revolution in Arta began on May 30, 1821, when Karaiskakis and G. Koudeidas hit the Turks in Komboti. Another important event was the Battle of Vourgarelli, on 23 September 1823, where Omer Vryonis was defeated, thus rescuing the Revolution in the West Roumeli.

The liberation

Despite the constant uprisings of the residents of the area (1854, 1867, 1878), the area of ​​Arta was liberated in 1881 and it was incorporated into the Greek state. In fact, this liberation concerned only 14 villages, because the rest were not own by residents, but some of them were owned by some squire, so the inhabitants were not free but slaves. The Turkish landlords sold their estates to the Greeks before they left, at a small price, which in turn became even more tough rulers than the Turks.

Vourgareli was Abraham Pasha Karakehaya’s. In order to reach its inhabitants, it was necessary to buy it, which was achieved after a hard struggle. The Mayor Theodorias Georgios Oikonomidis was the leader in that struggle. In the first contract in 1884, the inhabitants bought Vourgareli, by Abraham Pasha, for the sum of 4,416.66 golden Ottoman pounds. However, since there was an amount of 80.16 pounds that some residents were unable to pay the village was in danger of falling back to Pashas. Therefore, in the second contract in 1889, the landlord K. Karapanos from Arta was the guarantor, assuming the repayment amounting to £80,16 (2,244 drachmas) and thus became the new ruler of the region for the next 40 years.

In 1924 the inhabitants were able to repay the debt and the Cooperative of Co-ownership of Vourgareli – Paleokantouno was established. The Cooperative’s action was significant and at its expense, many charitable works were made.

The occupation and the civil war

During the Italian-German occupation, the region suffered much, due to the cruelty of the conquerors, and in the difficult years of the civil war many residents of the village were forced to emigrate. In April 1943, Nap. Zervas installed his headquarters at the home of Doctor Anagnostis.

Vourgareli became the first capital of free mountainous Greece. 

The Germans retaliated and on May 5, 1943, they bombed the village. German planes dropped more than 400 bombs. The victims were 13 dead and 30 injured, most of them village residents. Many homes were destroyed and many people were left homeless. The evil was completed on 3 October 1943 when the Germans burned it together with the surrounding villages. Then the church of St. Nicholas was burned, which was rebuilt in a design by architect and academic Anastasios Orlandos.

Another event related to the years of Occupation and National Resistance is the first theatrical performance of the Mountain Theater, the cultural department of EAM, played in Vourgareli square. The villagers also took part in this show.

The people of Vourgareli rebuilt their houses and set their lives from scratch. In the difficult years that followed (civil, post-civil years), many residents of the village were forced to immigrate, others to the cities, to study or search for better fortune and others in overseas countries, resulting in the weakening of the village as well as the entire Greek countryside.

What to see in Vourgareli

Such a place so favored by nature could not be left secret for a long time. The location with the unobstructed view, the green of the trees, the running waters and the stone fountains, the three beautiful bridges and the square (one of the most beautiful ones we met in Epirus) could only be a pole of attraction for those who love nature and are looking for the unspoiled life of the mountainous villages of Epirus and even the region of Tzoumerka.

And don’t even think for one moment that you will get bored. Beginning from the village you can explore the surrounding area. Starting from the beautiful square with the amazing view and walking along the old houses you first hear and then see the two stone taps that constitute the “trademark” of the village, Archonto and Kristallo which were built in 1926 at the expense of the Cooperative.

Do not miss the following:

Archonto and Krystallo

For over 80 years, water is running from the 4 mouths of Archonto and the 7 mouths of Kristallo. There are also mythical myths that if you believe in them and drink water you can get married in Vourgareli and stay there forever. The locals will show you the house that Napoleon Zervas chose for his headquarters and there is a sign in the village square that will remind you that in 1981 during the Rallis government, Vourgarell was chosen to give farmers and livestock farmers the first EEC subsidies.

The three stone bridges

The three stone bridges of the village are among the places that deserve your visit.

1. Neraidogefyro: It is an one-arched bridge located in Barda Place. It was built at the end of the 19th century (1950) and the sponsor was Konstantinos Poulis. Underneath it passes a stream of Sarantaporos that ends up in Arachthos. You will meet it when entering Vourgareli from Arta! It is located on a path that you follow in your right hand.

2.Bridge at Korais Stream: It is an one-arched bridge located in Vourgareli on the road to Athamanio. It bridges the homonymous stream of the Kalentini river, the tributary of Arachthos.

3. Bridge at Megali Vrisi: It is a single-arched bridge located in the same location outside the village of Vourgareli, going to Athamanio. It bridges the Kalentinis tributary of Arachthos. Its construction took place probably in the late 19th century.

The Red Church

About 4 km outside of the village is the Red Church or Panagia Vellas which is one of the most important monuments that the glorious Komninodoukades dynasty created in the 13th century in Epirus.

It is located in the village Paleochori, 4 km south of Vourgareli. It was built in 1281, ie before Parigoritissa of Arta, at the expense of Theodoros Tsimiskis, protortor (high military post of the Byzantine Court during the reign of the Komnenos and Paleologists Dynasty). The name Red Church is obviously due to the lively red color of the briquettes, of which the masonry of the temple is composed. Traditionally, it is also called the “king monastery”, probably because it was once the catholic (mainly temple) of a royal monastery which, when abandoned, became a part of the monastery of Vellas, from which it was named.

For the particular importance of the Temple, it has been designated as a Historic listed monument.

The Saint George Monastery

Surely the Saint George Monastery just outside the village is worth your visit as well. The monastery was founded in 1690 and it was rebuilt in 1714, according to an inscription found on the wall. Today’s cells are later constructions. In the middle of the 19th century, the monastery was in great prosperity and its charitable action was significant since, as mentioned in sources, it donated large amounts to local schools and assisted poor families.

It played an important role, in the sense that it contributed to the beginning of the revolution in Epirus, since the rebellion of the area was prepared there. During the Ottoman domination it served as a refuge for the troops and thieves of Tzoumerka, but it also covered the religious needs of the inhabitants, when the Germans burned the Saint. Nicholas In 1957 it was named a preserved historic monument.

In 1957 it was considered a preserved historic monument.

<p>The post Vourgareli – In an outstanding natural beauty first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

About the village

Matsouki at 1100 meters altitude belongs administratively in Ioannina and is 85 km away from the city. Access to Matsouki from the village of Christoi takes place in a breathtaking scenery.

Arriving in the village you will pass the wild ravine crossing the long 51m long Bailey bridge. Until some years ago the bridging of the gorge with a width of 48m and a depth of 44m was impossible, resulting in the isolation and desolation of the village. In the winter of 1981, the army placed a Bailey-type pedestrian bridge. Then, in August 1985 the road was opened to the village and the bridge was installed. Also, a few tens of meters away there is a second one built from cement.

It is unknown when the original settlement was created. The local tradition says that the name of Matsouki village is due to its inhabitants who killed a terrible dragon with a wood or according to another version faced and hit the enemy with stakes. Researcher Dimitris Kalousios comments that the stories with the stakes reveal the “roughness of the inhabitants”.

The occupations

According to Mr. Agelos Sinanis, Matsouki has long been known for the tailors and the famous capes they made there. Also their main occupation was agriculture and signs of cultivated land show to date with the formation of steep slopes of the soil, the terraces (protective walls) that retained the soil.

Today, unlike the other two villages of Syrrako – Kalarrytes that have been deserted, Matsouki has several permanent residents who are engaged in livestock farming. In summer, about 12,000 sheep and goats and 800 cattle are grazing in the surrounding mountains.

The architecture

Traditional architecture is not the same as in the other two villages of Syrrako-Kalarrytes and the tingling roofs of the houses (a solution which was also contributed by the free distribution of the zinc by the state after the WW2 as financial support to the villages that had suffered destruction by the occupying forces), don’t look nice to the guests.

There are of course some stone-built houses, the very beautiful school, the maintained watermill and the traditional cafes. But surely the incredible beauty due to the amazing geographical position compensates for this disharmony, and the hospitality and good mood of the residents comes as a seal. Besides, Matsouki was one of the last mountain villages that was electrified very recently (April 1984).

What to see in Matsouki

In the village you can see the old cobbled streets (stone-paved streets with raw stone), the work of the Pramantiotes. The beautiful square with spectacular views, and the recently preserved water mill with the dristella (water-jet), which has been designated as a historic listed monument (1992) and is very beautiful.

Next to the old historical school where the very interesting collection of the monastery of Vylissa is hosted, the church of Agia Paraskevi is built, a new, three-aisled basilica with a nice wood-carved iconostasis.

There are also five chapels around the area with the most impressive the one of St. Athanassios hung on the edge of the cliff.

Undoubtedly, the waterfall of Matsouki is one of the most impressive sights of the village. Inside the slopes and ravines formed by Katarrachia (2280m) and the Cretaceous (2200m.), there are streams descending from the mountains.

Two of them, Mavrias and Goura, cross the village and are joined a bit below by the Red River and are then poured into the Matsoukiotiko Rema (or ravine of Stafyla). Matsoukiotiko Rema descends from Kakarditsa, crosses its homonymous gorge and a bit further below it receives the waters of Karlibou and is then poured into the Kalarrytikos River at the point where the Melissirotiko Rema is poured.

Also, near Matsouki you can visit the Vyliza Monastery.

The village is offered for wonderful walks, either with 4X4 or hiking. Through marked paths one can reach Kakarditsa (2429m) by passing the plateau of Helimodi or climbing to the top of Katarahia (2280m).

Other routes: Matsouki – Vyliza – Kallarytes (marked with duration of 2 hours) and Matsouki – Strogoula Peak (2429m without marking, duration 4 hours)

<p>The post Matsouki – In a wonderful landscape first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

Μπάλτα ντι Στρίγκα στα βλάχικα σημαίνει «η οβίρα (μικρή λίμνη) της κραυγής». Ο μύθος λέει για μια γυναίκα που πηδώντας στον καταρράκτη για να αυτοκτονήσει έβγαλε μια δυνατή κραυγή που ακούστηκε μέχρι το χωριό.

Ακολουθώντας το σηματοδοτημένο μονοπάτι από την πλατεία του χωριού φτάνει κανείς έπειτα από 30 λεπτά εύκολης διαδρομής στους εντυπωσιακούς καταρράκτες. Η πορεία 1050 μ. είναι εύκολη σε ένα καλά διατηρημένο και προσεγμένο μονοπάτι και μέσα σε ένα υπέροχο τοπίο.

Τέλος, η τοπική κοινότητα έχει μεριμνήσει και κατασκευάσει πέτρινα παγκάκια ενώ έχει διαμορφώσει το μέρος ώστε να μπορείς να καθίσεις και να α

<p>The post The remarkable waterfalls of Balta Di Stringa first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

Information about the village

The oldest name of the village was Ntomprinovo or Domvrinovo. The period when the settlement was built is not known precisely. In fact, based on findings and oral testimonies it seems it was created through a combination of several small settlements that existed in the region. Moreover, for various reasons (such as lack of drinking water in some parts) the inhabitants of these regions gradually moved to the current location of the village.

During the Ottoman rule the village is mentioned as big and well developed. However, during the World War II on October 18, 1943 the Germans burned all the villages of the region and of course Iliochori as well.

The huge disaster for the village was not just financial though.

According to the testimonies there was important historical material concentrated in the community and in private homes which unfortunately could not be salvaged. For example, documents and religious and historical relics of centuries were destroyed in one day by the Nazi atrocity.

The village’s population shrank much after the Second World War. Then, the civil war that followed worsened even more the conditions. Hence, many residents fled as political refugees from their homeland and others to the big cities in a search for work.

What to see in Iliochori

The village might be remote and it might not have that particular architecture featured in other villages of Zagoria but it is built amphitheatrically and has a great view towards the slopes of Tymfi and the valley with the river Rasenitis (or Rasianitis).

In the square, the huge plane tree, the pride of the village, is said to be over a thousand years old and is the largest in Zagori and among the largest in Greece. Next to the square is the church of Agios Nikolaos which was renovated in 1850.

The local festival is organized every year on July 20, the feast day of the prophet Elias.

Just outside the village Iliochori, you can find the impressive waterfalls “Balta di Striga“.

The Balta Di Stringa waterfalls

A cluster of three waterfalls in the bed of the river Kryopotamos with the largest having a height of approximately 25 meters. The waterfalls form 2 large green pedestals and a smaller one literally within a virgin forest. Balta di Striga in Vlach means “the small lake cry”. Legend tells of a woman jumping into the waterfall to kill herself who cried out loud and was heard up to the village.

Following the marked path from the village square one can reach the impressive waterfalls easily after 30 minutes walking.

The route of 1050 meters is easy and in a well maintained and cared path in a beautiful landscape. The local community has arranged and constructed stone benches and has formed a part so you can sit and enjoy the scenery comfortably.

For the adventurous visitors it is recommended to dive into the icy waters.

It is such an impressive place that captivates you and makes you forget that you have to take the way back.

On the way back and before leaving, stop for refreshments, coffee or food at the welcoming tavern that welcomes visitors with the sign: ΚΑΛΩΣ ΟΡΙΣΑΤΕ – ΓΚΙΝΕ ΒΙΝΤΟΥ

<p>The post Iliochori- Escaping to the beautiful waterfalls first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

About Tsepelovo

With 260 permanent residents Tsepelovo is considered to be crowded compared to other villages of Zagori. In the past, the municipality of Tymfi had its base here, housed in a traditional building in the central square.

As the administrative center of Zagori from the 18th century, Tsepelovo flourished during the Ottoman years particularly due to the timber trade. In 1700 they opened the first school of the village.

Tsepelovo is the birthplace of Constantinos Rados. He who was initiator of the Society of Friends (Filiki Eteria) founding idea. It is also the birthplace of national benefactors Anastasios Tsouflis, John Dumas and George Bikas. Moreover, it is the birthplace of Dimitrios and Marika Kotopouli.

It has been characterized as a traditional settlement. Today it is a popular tourist destination and a favorite village among naturalists and walkers. 

Mountains, canyons, alpine lakes, rare vegetation and animal shelters characterize the natural environment of the village. Tsepelovo has a significantly developed tourist infrastructure with many options and choices in accommodation, food and entertainment.

The little stone paths lead to the reference point of the village, its square with the great tree. On the right of the church once can find the Tsoufleio pharmacy and the tomb of the poet Ioannis Vilaras.

In the village it is the Church of St. Nicholas that really stands out. It was built in the 18th century as a basilica with a dome and it was decorated in 1786 by master painters from Kapesovo. The hexagonal bell tower of 16 meters is dominating. There is a rich color variety spreading to 12 domes, 16 arches and the walls of the temple.

What to see near Tsepelovo

Two kilometers outside the village, above the gorge called “Vikaki” you can find the stone monastery of Rogovos. It was built in the years 1028-1034 and it was renovated in 1745. The well-preserved frescoes and woodwork of the church were gradually created in the 18th and 19th century.

Neophytos Doukas – a cleric and a scholar, one of the most important figures of the Enlightenment – wanted to establish a higher education institution (“Higher School”) in the monastery, but his vision was never completed because of the upheavals in the fall of Ali Pasha. 

In October 2016 we visited the monastery and the restoration works were at an end. The view of the interior and the exterior was truly impressive. We were informed that the work was about to finish and soon the monastery would be open to the public.

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