For Athenians, Metsovo is not a weekend destination; the drive there is easy – Ionia and Egnatia odos roads have done marvels to improve it – but it’s long. But there’s also the option of flying to Ioannina, and then in around half an hour drive across bridges and tunnels, you reach the beautiful, mountainous setting of Metsovo. This is what I chose to do when I decided to spend a weekend at the five-star Grand Forest Metsovo hotel.
The hotel is perched on the top of a hill, at 1,350 m, and offers a stunning view: on the one side the snowy mountaintops of the nearby mountains, and on the other, the scenic Metsovo.
Grand Forest hotel is housed in 8 two-storey houses of traditional local architecture, perfectly blending in the natural environment. It has 62 suites, all of them with the same majestic view.
The lobby resembles a large chalet’s hall, with a fireplace with a fire constantly burning during the winter as its central focal point.
When I saw it, I was immediately tempted to quickly take my things to my room, get my book, and relax in one of the comfy sofas near it, drinking a hot chocolate or tea for the next few hours.
This did not happen, as we already had other plans: truffle hunting and lunch at the hotel’s forest cabin, by the river, two of the many activities offered by the hotel outside its premises.
Our guide at truffle hunting was Katerina Nola who explained everything around truffles while her cute dogs searched for truffles among the trees’ roots. It’s not easy to grow them, nor is it easy to hunt them. However, the experience of hunting them is unique. To be honest, most of the time I was just looking around the setting in awe, instead of looking at what the clumsy little helpers were doing, in their effort to find an underground treasure. And then, we went to the forest cabin, where the women there cooked us fresh pasta, hot soup and other dishes using truffles.
The return to the hotel included spa for those who wanted it, and relaxation in the indoor pool. As tempting as that was, I chose being “alone” with my book, next to the fireplace, as it’s a luxury I rarely get to enjoy.
For dinner, we were booked at the hotel’s restaurant. Gkikas Xenakis has curated the menu and young Metsovite Vasilis Giannoulis is the chef. The dishes they’ve selected are a perfect fit for the hotel’s philosophy; inspired, including many local products, with tasty surprises, not at all what comes to mind when you think of “hotel food”. The clever wild mushrooms “cappuccino” with goat cheese froth and fresh truffle from Epirus is a very pleasant appetizer, as is the crunchy organic egg served on spinach cream, with country sausage and graviera cheese sauce.
Another dish that you need to try is the special version of the traditional pie pispilita that they make. In essence, pispilita is a pie with a lot of leeks and seasonal greens made with a corn flour dough. But here, they offer it in the form of a croquette – Vasilis Giannoulis’ idea. Gkikas Xenakis has made sure to include both fish and meat options on the menu, with various greens, vegetables and herbs on every dish, something he is known for. I personally liked the Aoos trout with the mild smoked celeriac puree served with a dill and chestnut honey sauce. The next morning the schedule included a pleasant surprise: a folklore “performance”, with two local grannies, dressed in traditional costumes, giving us a lesson on how to make hilopites (traditional pasta) and how to roll out traditional filo. I may have gotten myself covered in flour, but the experience of kneading dough, and the “performance” these two energetic grannies gave, were totally worth it.
The time to go back home was approaching fast, and I didn’t want to leave before I filled my mind with all the beautiful images that Grand Forest Metsovo had to offer. After all, there’s a reason this particular hotel has been repeatedly awarded as one of the best Landmark Hotels in Europe and the world. A good reason. Its staff do everything possible to offer guests a unique experience.
They treat them as guests and not customers, and that’s something you’ll understand the moment you go through the door. And if you want to know if it’s worth getting all the way up there for a weekend, my answer is yes. And not just in the winter, all year round. Even in the summer, when most people go to the islands or the beaches. I’d definitely come back.
