a day ago
A hiking trail linking 46 ancient Greek villages
For centuries, dozens of stone-built communities have been linked by a series of cobblestone paths and rock-hewn bridges. Now, travellers can embark on these time-worn trails.
On a sunny May morning, I met Michális Georgaras, a Greek mountain guide, in Athens. Armed with backpacks and hiking gear, we embarked on a six-hour drive to reach the northernmost region of Western Greece, Zagorohoria, for a week-long exploration. As we left Athens behind, the landscape shifted from rows of rolling olive trees to thick pine forest and steep ridges.
"Most people don't think of Greece as a mountainous place," Georgaras said. "But 80% of our land is made of mountains."
To many travellers, Greece is synonymous with the ancient history of its cities and the whitewashed houses of its islands. Yet, the nation's deep ravines and seldom-explored mountainous landscape is where much of its traditional culture still endures, and Zagorohoria (sometimes called Zagori) is one of its most surprising – and stunning – corners.
