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.
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
-
5 dramatically dysfunctional cartoons about the government shutdown
Cartoons Artists take on life without government, foam finger pointing, and more
-
October 4 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include the Einstein files, defunding the police, and an odd tribute to Jane Goodall
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?
Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiry
The Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’