Must-see attractions in Epiros

  • Family admiring the view of Vikos Gorge.

    Vikos Gorge

    Zagorohoria

    The Voïdomatis ('Good Water' in its Slavic roots) River, a tributary of the Aoös, carved the 12km-long, 900m-deep Vikos Gorge over millions of years. Per…

  • Greece, Epirus Region, Ioannina, elevated city view, Lake Pamvotis and Nisi Island.

    Ioannina Island

    Ioannina

    In the middle of the lake, the reed-encircled patch of land locals just call To Nisi (The Island) is a pretty, peaceful destination, whether you just want…

  • Forest and Aoos river at the valley of Valia Calda in northern Greece.

    Northern Pindos National Park

    Epiros

    North of Ioannina, this large protected area includes the Vikos-Aoös region around the plunging Vikos Gorge, and the Valia Kalda forest north of Metsovo…

  • Nekromanteion of Acheron

    Epiros

    This ancient complex is small but comes with a gripping backstory. According to Homer and Herodotus, it was a place to consult with an oracle …

  • Nikopolis

    Preveza

    The ruins of Nikopolis, built in 28 BC by Octavian (later Augustus), after he defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the naval Battle of Actium (Aktion),…

  • Dodoni

    Epiros

    Set in a wildflower-carpeted valley 21km southwest of Ioannina, Dodoni was the religious capital of the ancient Epirote Alliance. It is most famous for…

  • Church of Parigoritissa Byzantine Museum

    Epiros

    Three storeys plus intricate brick domes, this giant block of a church was established in the 13th century under the Despotate of Epiros. A few centuries…

  • Moni Filanthropinon

    Ioannina

    This monastery, active at least since the 13th century, bursts with flowers and is tended by kindly nuns – in stark contrast with its church, in which one…

  • Its Kale

    Ioannina

    A more heavily fortified section within the Kastro, the Its Kale (Inner Castle) today feels less like a citadel than a city park. Inside the ramparts, on…

  • Archaeological Museum

    Ioannina

    This museum digs deeper into history than many others in Greece, staring in the ice age, with such relics as 120,000-year-old fossilized rhinoceros teeth…

  • Folk Art Museum

    Epiros

    The Tossizza family mansion conjures life in this mountain town: a cosy dream of fireplaces and gorgeous carpets, and the reality of being snowbound for…

  • Archaeological Museum of Nikopolis

    Preveza

    This modern museum brims with the treasures of Nikopolis: Roman marble statuary, mosaics from Byzantine churches and more. Abundant English-language…

  • Byzantine Museum

    Ioannina

    This museum presents early Christian and Byzantine art, pottery, coins and silverware, plus post-Byzantine icons and manuscripts, early Venetian-produced…

  • Pavlos Vrellis Wax Museum of Greek History

    Ioannina

    From a purely artistic standpoint, this is a remarkable museum of wax figures that are so uncannily good they transcend kitsch. The sculptor Vrellis, who…

  • Old Bridge

    Epiros

    This stone bridge, likely built in the early 1600s, spans the Arahthos River in four elegant arches. (The windows in the pedestals are for water overflow…

  • Kahila Kedosha Yashan Synagogue

    Ioannina

    Open only by appointment, this temple, built in 1829, is nonetheless worth scheduling ahead if you're interested in Ioannina's deep Jewish history…

  • Perama Cave

    Ioannina

    Just around the edge of the lake from central Ioannina, this cave is among Greece’s largest and most impressive. Discovered by accident in 1940 by…

  • Oxya Viewpoint

    Zagorohoria

    North of Monodendri, a narrow road leads to this cliffside lookout into the depths of the Vikos Gorge. En route, you pass through the Petrino Dasos (Stone…

  • Silversmithing Museum

    Ioannina

    Although the centre of Ioannina no longer rings with the distinctive tapping hammers of the city's famous artisans, that sound and their trade are…

  • Lake Pamvotis Information Center

    Ioannina

    Learn about Ioannina Island's natural world – and how humans have worked with it for centuries – at this two-storey exhibit space. After a quick visit,…

  • Castle of Arta

    Epiros

    Arta's 13th-century walls, erected 10m high by the Byzantine despotate atop ruins of ancient Ambracia, stand on the north side of town. They're perhaps…

  • Venetian Castle

    Parga

    Centuries of turbulent history have made Parga's castle a romantic ruin facing the sea. The site was used for defence since the 11th century; the existing…

  • Moni Agia Paraskevi

    Zagorohoria

    From near the lower plateia in Monodendri, by Hotel Arktouros, a stone path leads about 1km to this small, now-disused monastery perched on the edge of…

  • Averoff Gallery

    Epiros

    Founded by Evangelos Averoff to fulfil a long-held wish to crown his family's town with a quality gallery, this three-storey space exhibits works of Greek…

  • Ali Pasha Museum

    Ioannina

    On Ioannina's idyllic island, the monastery where Ali Pasha made his last stand (or recline, really) in 1822 is now a small, cheerfully morbid museum,…

  • Archaeological Museum

    Epiros

    This museum is a gem: a fine collection, clearly presented, in a manageable space that's seldom busy. It focuses primarily on the ancient city of Ambracia…

  • Konitsa Bridge

    Epiros

    Completed in 1871, the bridge on the Aoös River below Konitsa is an icon of the town and, at 40m across and 20m high, it's thought to be the largest…

  • Municipal Ethnographic Museum

    Ioannina

    Set inside the Aslan Pasha Mosque (1619), the museum exhibits local costumes and period photographs, along with tapestries and prayer shawls from Ioannina…

  • Moni Panagia Spiliotissa

    Zagorohoria

    This now-unused monastery was erected against a massive rock in 1665. The building is usually closed (unless it's the Friday after Easter), but there is a…

  • Kokkori Bridge

    Zagorohoria

    Set between two sheer cliffs below the village of Koukouli, this is one of the most picturesque of the Zagorohoria's stone bridges. It was first built in…

  • Paragaea Olive Oil Museum

    Parga

    This museum in Parga's erstwhile olive-oil factory, operational from 1929 until 1974, covers the history of Parga's major pre-tourist industry (the trees…

  • Temple of St Barbara

    Epiros

    This little chapel is really an excuse for a pleasant short walk, about 30 minutes along a level path. Konitsa's local religious hero, St Paisios of Athos…

  • Rizarios Exhibition Centre

    Zagorohoria

    This cultural centre is housed in a renovated mansion. The exhibits focus on Zagorohoria history and culture, with excellent photography. Coffee-table…

  • Moni Evaggelistria

    Zagorohoria

    Built in 1630, this little monastery has a church that glows like a box of jewels: its vivid 18th-century frescoes have never been retouched, but simply…

  • Plakida Bridge

    Zagorohoria

    A stone-paved trail leads down from the roadside parking area to this stone bridge, one of the prettiest in the Zagori region and a rarity in its triple…

  • Historical Museum of Ioannina

    Ioannina

    This small private museum has some beautiful objects and gives a concise overview of the city's colourful history, with special attention to Jewish and…

  • Beloï Viewpoint

    Zagorohoria

    All the views of Vikos Gorge are stunning, but this one might be the best. It's reached from outside the village of Vradeto. You must park and walk about…

  • Folklore Museum

    Epiros

    Set in the former tollhouse of Arta's old bridge, this little museum has a small collection of traditional costumes and tools from the area. It's a nice…

  • Agios Vlasios

    Zagorohoria

    The most striking of Papingo's churches is Agios Vlasios (1852) with its separate 15m-high hexagonal bell tower (1887).

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