Explore Epirus

It is defined to the east by the Pindus mountain range, known colloquially as the spine of Greece. It stretches from near the Greek-Albanian border, entering the Epirus and Macedonia regions in northern Greece down to the north of the Peloponnese, to the west by the shoreline of the Ionian Sea, to the north by the Albanian border, and to the south by the Ambracian Gulf.

At the heart of Epirus is its capital, the city of Ioannina, built along the Pamvotida lake. It has a long tradition of silversmithing and was the seat of Ali Pasha at the start of the 19^th century. Already from the 18^th century, the city’s wealthy merchants and citizens of Ioannina abroad led the way to an impressive spiritual blossoming of the region by building schools and libraries that conveyed the spirit of the European Enlightenment. The Ioannina Castle, with its museums, is a centre of attraction for visitors, as is the small island on the lake where six monasteries and the last residence of Ali Pasha are located.

Not far away is Dodoni, the most important oracle of ancient Greece after Delphi. It has an ancient theatre from the 3^rd century BCE. Also close to Ioannina is the 1100-meter cave of Perama, with its countless caverns, pathways, and stalactites.

North of Ioannina are 46 villages that make up Zagorohoria. Built of stone, they are arrayed across the Vikos National Park and Voidomatis River, a region of rare natural beauty. In the western part lies the Vikos Gorge, 12 kilometres long and 1000 meters deep, the world’s deepest. The gorge and river Aoos (Voidomatis) are in the northern part, which invites rafting. On the mountain of Gamila (or Tymfi), at a height of 2050 meters, is found the alpine lake, Drakolimni. The difficult mountain, with its deep gorges and rushing waters, forced the inhabitants to build its famous arched bridges made of stone. They are unique in the world. 

The bridges of Epirus, including those in Arta, hold immense historical, cultural, and engineering significance. These structures, primarily stone-built and often spanning dramatic landscapes, are iconic symbols of the region’s heritage. They reflect Epirus’s mastery of traditional craftsmanship, its strategic importance in connecting communities, and the interplay of nature and human ingenuity.

On Epirus’s southern border lies the Ambracian Gulf, an almost-closed sea that communicates with the Ionian Sea through the straits of Preveza. The gulf forms great sea lakes with salty water and abundant fauna. As shown by their large castles, the towns along the gulf’s shore, Preveza and Vonitsa, were strategic Venetian ports.