This is perhaps the only village in my country where a river cuts it in two. There are a lot of villages near rivers but this one is very interesting as the water is part of the village architecture.
Vovousa is situated in the North-West of Greece, in the prefecture of Ioannina. North of Ioannina is the complex of villages named Zagori, situated in a big mountain called Pindos. There is East and West Zagori. Vovousa is situated in the East Zagori which is considered less developed compared to the West Zagori.
The village is rather small and not so rich. The inhabitants mostly make a living from logging. There are only about 100 inhabitants living here throughout winter. The natives, the people who were born and raised here, love their village. Most of them live in the city of Ioannina and visit Vovousa occasionally. There is no school, no shop to buy basics, while during summer there is just one tavern and one coffee shop (in Greek it is called “cafenio”). In Zagori as well as throughout Greek provence, there are wandering merchants with a car full of utilities, who come by once in a while and bring the basics to the inhabitants.
The most beautiful thing about this village is that it is situated in wild nature and a river named Aoos runs through it. It is beautiful if you like swimming in rivers, nonetheless you should be prepared that even during summer the waters are quite cold. I believe that the main reason to visit this place is if you wish to make long walks in nature, not get in touch with many people and live a bit rustic for a while. Or if, like these days, there is too much heat in the place you live and prefer to visit a mountain rather than a beach. Vovousa is situated near the National Park Valia Kalda and is ideal for hiking.
There are a couple of hostels you can live in, one is more modern and comfortable, the other one is more simple. The stone bridge was built in 1748 and is characteristic of the Epirus perfection architectural tradition. Most of the houses are also built from local stone. In the old days, the people here were mostly merchants, stockbreeders and loggers, now I believe they are mostly retirees and tourists, like myself! But slowly the village is being reborn. Nature always knows better.
Till next time, enjoy!