The largest, and with the biggest population, village in the country, apart from being a special travel destination is also a very interesting location for wine tasting, art and culture.
Amphitheatrically built on the verdant slopes of Pindos at an altitude of 1200 m, over the river Metsovitiko, this unique Vlach village is in its own right a great – not only – winter destination. The fact that Metsovo is the homeland of national benefactors like Georgios Averoff, Michael Tossizza and Nikolaos Stournaras, as well as, later on, of Evangelos Averoff Tossizza has played a defining part in its development. Nature lovers hold it high in their preferences, due to the hiking trails and its two small ski centres. The wider area, after all, is magical. “Planted” right inside the national park of Pindos, next to exciting Valia Calda, it’s right up there with the best and more famous winter resorts abroad.
While now, that the Egnatia road has made access from Macedonia and the other areas of the south easier, it is experiencing an additional tourist boost, with older and newer hospitality units attracting an increasing number of visitors.
The village’s history is redefined in 1959 when Evangelos Averoff dreams of Metsovo’s revival. He plans to make a winery, to produce a new, modern and cosmopolitan wine, create a dairy as well as a foundation that will upgrade his home and lead the way forward. And he managed everything. At 1000 m altitude, the first vine was created – planned and correctly oriented – with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc varieties that are introduced to Greece for the first time from France.
The first wine is made at the house’s katogi (also known as katói – the ground floor that used to be a space for the animals and food storage) and so is named “Katogi Metsovou” with a label he designed himself on a letterhead from his political office. In the following years, its development is exceptional. The winery is built at the edge of the village and the wine “Katogi Metsovou” earns legendary status and becomes synonymous to quality and development. After the death of Evangelos Averoff, “Katogi Metsovou” is renamed “Katogi Averoff” and more wines are added to the production.
In recent years, the estate’s evolution is unique for Greek standards. The winery has been fundamentally renovated and has been turned into a modern winemaking unit. The vineyards have expanded on the steep slopes of the surrounding mountains, as well as further away, while new vineyards are created in gorges and plateaus, at monasteries and chapels, which are worth visiting, so ask at the winery about them. Its cellars are equal to the lovely cellars in Bordeaux while very soon a small hotel within the grounds was created, as well as a boutique with every wine accessory a wine loving visitor might need.
The tour is magical, from the hotel’s basement that leads to the winery’s cellars and reaches the shop. The magic starts at a small museum space with exhibits from Averoff Tossizza’s life and continues with an amazing audio-visual display whose atmosphere is impossible to describe with words. Videos are projected on the wine tanks, photographs are projected on barrels, an impressive wine bar, a glass bridge that goes over a “river” of bottles and at the end of it the wine accessory boutique. It really is a wine lover’s paradise.
The Winery
The Katogi Averoff winery is a building of exceptional style with impressive cellars that you can visit during the tour. The exterior is in total harmony with the landscape, while the shop inside is a wine lover’s paradise. Next to it is the hotel of the same name, thus offering a complete wine tasting experience.
The dairy
The Tossizza foundation’s dairy in Metsovo first opened in 1958. Evangelos Averoff Tossizza’s vision was to create a model dairy, a bit like a dairy school, that would lead by example the rest of the cheese makers in Greece. It is housed in a simple building with a wooden sign: “Tossizza Foundation – Dairy”, however, the tour of the grounds and the production area is a proper experience. This is where the famous “Metsovone” cheese, made with 90% cow’s milk and 10% goat’s milk, that matures for 3 months – known for its long narrow head with the distinct smoky flavour – is made.
In addition, the Metsovo Folk Art Museum is housed in the unique Tossizza Mansion, and right next to it you’ll find the Averoff Museum, most of whose works come from Evangelos Averoff’s personal collection. The Averoff Museum is a museum of Modern Greek Art, whose importance has crossed the borders of Metsovo. Nowadays, Averoff’s daughter, Tatiana, is in charge of it, who cares for it with great love, and its collection includes works by foreign and mainly Greek painters, engravers and sculptors of the 19th and 20th century like Lytras, Gyzis, Volanakis, Iakovides, Savvides, Roilos, Parthenis, Maleas, Hadjikyriakos Ghikas and many more.
Routes
Walk around the fir-covered slopes of the Pindos national park and enjoy the forest trails and the forgotten villages.
First route: It starts just outside Metsovo in the direction of Katara – you’ll find a sign on your left towards Vovousa. Follow the path by the lake Aoos – a unique setting both in the winter and in the summer – where you may even come across wild horses, and head towards Flabourari and then to the lovely Vovousa. You are now in the heart of the national park, in Valia Calda. Stop for a meat lunch at the tavern in Vovousa’s square, overlooking the river, and then continue on the main road towards Perivoli, where, just outside the village, after the chapel of Agios Nikolaos, you should make a right turn on a dirt road that will lead you back to the Grevena-Metsovo Egnatia road through the villages Mikrolivado and Milia. If you head west from Vovousa, towards Laista and Tsepelovo you can start another stunning route towards the West Zagori with its famous villages, Kipous, Aristi and Papigko.
Second route: From Metsovo head south towards Haliki. At the crossroads, on the right you’ll find a beautiful route to Sirako and Kalarites. Gorges and rivers, snowy peaks and, of course, these two villages with the stone-built mansions spreading on two slopes, in such complete harmony with the natural landscape that you can’t distinguish them from a distance. There are guesthouses and taverns waiting for you to try the local delicacies and the home cooking.
Third route: Continue south at Haliki and take the road on the left towards Polithea, Pertouli and Elati, for another really beautiful route. The villages of the Ano Aspropotamos area, like Anthousa, Haliki, Krania, Katafito, Milia, Kalliroi, Polithea, Stefani and Gardiki are “drowned” in firs and plane trees. The tall peaks of Lakmos (2295 m) and Kakarditsa, the fir forests and the waters of the Aspropotamos river, as well as the springs of Acheloos complete the setting. The main tree species are beeches, firs, plane trees and oaks, while the brown bear, the wolf and the deer are the main animal species in the area. The routes through the century-old forests and the fir covered gorges that end in Pertouli and Elati, and the nearby ski centre are stunning. The cobbled squares, the endless meat-eating, and the ski in Pertouli’s ski centre are all great.
The Vines
The vineyards in Metsovo and in particular in Yiniets are the most mountainous vineyards in Greece at an altitude ranging between 950 and 1050 metres, perched on the slopes of Pindos. The slow aging adds its own touch to the grapes and, in consequence, to the wine. In Yiniets, that in the Vlach dialect means vine land, the cosmopolitan Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Traminer varieties are grown, as well as the local Vlahiko, Syrah and the lesser-known ones like Gudaba and Pyknoassa.
Apart from the main vineyard, that surrounds Metsovo, there are more stunning vineyards in the area of Agios Nikolaos monastery, on the slope, at the foothills of Metsovo. It’s worth visiting the monastery’s underground cellars with the huge barrels – winemakers.
Finally, towards east Zagori, the area of the Voutsa monastery, an 8th century masterpiece, is where the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Vlahiko, Traminer, and Chardonnay vineyards are. The vineyards of Metsovo are within the brown bear’s habitat. This is where the sows with their cubs leave their footprints among the vines. Their favourite variety to eat is Traminer, though in the past years they have been known to try other varieties as well. That is why they say that the wines form Metsovo are gifted with the bear’s touch.
And since the bear is an inextricable part of Metsovo’s habitat, each year, on the last Sunday of May, Metsovo organises a marathon the “UrsaTrail – on the tracks of the bear”. It begins in Metsovo, goes through mountain paths, and follows the trail of a bear, going through the vines.
Accommodation
This hotel expresses the philosophy of its owners. A model winemaking unit, this hotel-winery first opened in 2008 with 15 rooms, including a grand suite, a junior suite, and superior and standard rooms. Relax in the spacious rooms – some of them with a fireplace – or near the lobby’s fireplace and listen to the logs burning on cold winter nights with everything outside covered in snow. In the summer sit under the pergola or in the garden, to enjoy Pindos’ nature in bloom. Try local delicacies at the hotel’s restaurant, combining them with the winery’s unique wines. The breakfast includes exceptional local products, with the famous sourdough bread of Metsovo stealing the thunder, as well as pies and local cheeses. The common areas with the lit fireplaces and the comfortable couches are really nice, while there’s also a bar for wine and drinks.
Tel.: 0030 2656 – 042505
Aroma Dryos Eco & Design Hotel
This is one of the most beautiful hotels in the village. It respects the local architecture adding, at the same time, its own distinct touch. The rooms are lined with tree trunks, have lovely fireplaces, unique bathrooms and are decorated with care. The lobby is warm and atmospheric, ideal for the cold winter nights.
Tel: 0030 2656 – 029008
A beautiful place is not just to live in, but also to admire. So, the five-star Grand Forest Metsovo hotel was built on the opposite slope, overlooking the village. It’s a mountain resort, elegant and well-cared for, with various different room types in the main building as well as in the peripheral ones. The pool outside is imposing, while the marked paths start just outside the hotel. Stone, wood and marble are dominant here, while the fireplace in the lobby keeps the ambience warm. The restaurant is also open for guests not staying in the hotel.
Tel.: 0030 2656 – 300500
The village’s largest hotel offers forty recently renovated rooms. It’s very close to the main square and it has a view of the village and the surrounding mountaintops. It offers parking, something crucial when you’re staying inside the village, and spacious, comfortable rooms. Its style, too, is focused on stone and wood, using quite a few local elements in the décor. However, the recent renovation has made the rooms more modern.
Tel.: 0030 2656 – 041844
Adryades Luxury Apartments is the perfect setting for an enjoyable stay. It’s located near the square and is inspired by Adryades, the mythical tree nymphs. It has three suites, in earthy colours, unique interiors where stone and wood are the dominant materials. It has great amenities, like high quality Italian mattresses, while all linen is from Coco-mat.
Tel. 0030 26560 41061 – 0030 6983 040 820
The stone built Arhontiko Metsovou Luxury Boutique Hotel in the centre of the village follows the architecture and style of the land. It has wooden ceilings, elaborate boiserie in the rooms, romantic light fixtures, armchairs, fireplaces and poster beds that create a warm atmosphere of discrete luxury. All rooms have a sauna, jacuzzi or hydrotherapy cabin, while there’s logs by the fireplace, ready for you. Finally, there is a pool in the hotel’s garden, with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, as well as a heated outdoors jacuzzi.
Tel: 0030 26560 29100
A well-kept family run unit, just 50 m from the main square, housed in a stone building with a tiled roof, with a sauna, a jacuzzi and a hammam, 26 rooms 7 of which are attics offering a romantic stay. The rooms are simply but elegantly furnished, with a view of the city and the surrounding mountains, while the stone, the engraved headrests, the handmade rugs and the elaborate ceilings in the traditional Metsovo style make a difference.
Tel.: 0030 2656 – 041800
Food
The delicious Epirotic traditional cuisine with the dairy, the meat and the pies is everywhere.
Galaxias
At the restaurant of Galaxias hotel, that is one of the most traditional in the area – of course it has a fireplace – you’ll try wild greens pies, leek pies, goat stew, beef with local hilopites (traditional Greek pasta in the shape of small squares), and meatballs with leeks.
To Koutouki tou Nikola
A small tavern next to the post office with amazing pies, well-made casserole dishes and an open fire where local meats are grilled.
Delfa tavern
In the village Anilio, this renovated tavern with great meat, skewered pork, famous sheep ribs, and amazing fries cooks everything wrapped in parchment paper.
Ta 5 F
A tavern in the main square with skewered meats and of course all the traditional Epirotic delicacies for you to enjoy.
Activities
Sports
Choose activities that can give you a unique feel of the land and unforgettable experiences. There are daily trips on offer for rafting, hot-dog, canyoning, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, paragliding, climbing, mountain biking, going on mountainous terrain with a 4×4 car or a mountain motorcycle, as well as skiing.
There’s something for everyone.
Churches
The local churches and monasteries, like that of Agia Paraskevi, in the main square with the wooden altar built in the 18th century, are unique sights. Visit the church of Agios Dimitrios and Agios Haralambos with the two pulpits and the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos, on the banks of Metsovitikos river with the rare Byzantine iconography.
Hydrokinetics Museum
At the outdoors Hydrokinetics Museum in Anthochori you’ll understand the importance of waterpower in the traditional community. It’s an outdoors museum with old restored water mills and nerotrives (washing mechanism) that focuses on the basic pre-industrial techniques. They use the power of water to produce a variety of products and link history with the daily life of the local community throughout the years. It’s a particularly nice museum, surrounded by very beautiful, picturesque cobbled streets and small bridges. You’ll find a canteen there where you can enjoy a coffee, snack or refreshment.
