Zagori: a hiking paradise in northwest Greece
Blanketed in forests that are home to wolves and bears, the Zagori region is ‘haunting’ in winter

With its towering mountains and charming villages, the Zagori region of northwest Greece is a paradise for hikers, says Catherine Fairweather in the FT. Particularly “haunting” in the winter, it is blanketed in dense forests that are home to boar, wolves and bears, and through its heart runs the spectacular Vikos Gorge. Cobbled mule paths, or kalderimia, run between its villages, which are home to splendid merchants’ mansions that were mostly built, along with the region’s 64 stone bridges, in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the area grew rich from trade (Napoleon’s sailors at Trafalgar are said to have worn cloaks woven from the wool of Zagori sheep).
From the airport at Thessaloniki, it is a three-hour drive, past Mount Olympus, to the village of Aristi, and the cosy Aristi Mountain Resort hotel. The sense of isolation grows as the road winds past waterfalls and ruined homesteads to the village’s main square, where a taverna, En Aristi, serves regional food in the shade of giant plane trees. Spread across several traditional houses, the hotel has a spa and an indoor pool, and each room has its own wood-burning stove and “rosemary-fringed” front door, stepping out of which each morning is like entering a “dreamscape”. A path leads out onto a wild hillside, past the 17th century Spiliotissa monastery, and down to the crystalline waters and white beaches of the Voidomatis river.
One of the best walks runs through the deciduous woodlands of the Vikos Gorge. In the “cool, green, silent world” within it lie the springs of Voidomatis, which is a lovely place to rest. Lichen “hangs like bracelets from the branches of the hornbeams”, moss carpets the rocks, and the waters of the mineral pools are pure enough to drink, and wonderful for swimming.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tours on foot or by e-bike or car are organised by The Slow Cyclist (theslowcyclist.co.uk) and the classicist Rupert Smith (theeviaschool.com).
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Quiz of The Week: 5 – 11 July
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
How many people are working illegally in the UK?
The Explainer Government vows 'nationwide blitz' on illicit workforce believed to number in the hundreds of thousands
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A devastating flood, a hungry manatee, and more
-
Kiefer / Van Gogh: a 'remarkable double act'
The Week Recommends Visit this 'heroic' and 'absurd' exhibition at the Royal Academy until 26 October
-
Mark Billingham shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The novelist and actor shares works by Mark Lewisohn, John Connolly and Gillian Flynn
-
Properties of the week: grand rural residences
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Wiltshire, Devon, and East Sussex
-
Heads of State: 'a perfect summer movie'
The Week Recommends John Cena and Idris Elba have odd-couple chemistry as the US president and British prime minister
-
The Red Brigades: a 'fascinating insight' into the 'most feared' extremist group of 1970s Italy
The Week Recommends A 'grimly absorbing' history of the group and their attempts to overthrow the Italian state
-
Jurassic World Rebirth: enjoyable sequel hampered by plot holes
Talking Point The latest dinosaur reboot captures the essence of the original – but leans too heavily on 'CGI-heavy set pieces'
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar Touch
Feature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life