Parnassos Mt, just two hours from Athens

Mt Parnassos, the home of poetry, music, and learning,  in Greek mythology, is Just 2 hours from Athens.

The slopes of Parnassos are the location of two ski centres. The Parnassos Ski Centre is composed of two sections, Kellaria and Fterolakka, which together make up the largest ski centre in Greece. A smaller ski centre (only two drag lifts) called Gerontovrahos is across a ridge from Kellaria. Parnassus is mined for its abundant supply of bauxite which is converted to aluminium oxide and then to aluminium.

The construction of the ski resort started in 1975 and was completed in 1976, when the first two drag lifts operated in Fterolaka. In 1981 the construction of a new ski area was completed in Kelaria, while in winter season 1987–1988 the chair lift Hermes started operating and connected the two ski areas. Both ski resorts continued expanding and in 1993 the first high-speed quad in Greece was installed, named Hercules. Today the ski centre operates with 14 lifts,a 4-seater cable car, a 4-seater high-speed chair lift, four 3-seaters, one 2-seater chair lift and 6 drag lifts, with a maximum capacity of about 5000 people per hour. The ski centre boasts 25 marked ski runs and about 12 ski routes of 30 km (19 mi) total length while the longest run is 4 km (2 mi).

Metsovo, the largest centre of Vlach life in Greece

The Municipality of Metsovo consists of the municipal districts of Metsovo, Anilio, Anthochori and Votonosi. It extends over an area of 200.000m2 and it has a population of ca. 6.000 inhabitants. 

To the north it bounds to the Prefecture of Grevena, to the east and southeast to the Prefecture of Trikala and to the west and southwest to the Prefecture of Ioannina. Metsovo is the seat of the municipality, built at an altitude of 1200m., at the junction of Epirus, Thessaly and Western Macedonia.

Anilio is situated opposite Metsovo, Anthochori is located further to the south and Votonosi lies next to the Metsovitikos River, along the Ioannina-Trikala national road.

The municipality stands on the southern end of northern Pindos and extends between Mt Mavrovouni to the north (altitude 2.160m.) and Mt. Lakmos or Peristeri to the south (altitude 2.295m.), two of the highest mountains of Epirus.

The mountainous terrain consists of strong elevations while many species of the flora and fauna find refuge in the dense forests.

The area has a rich hydrographic network. Here rises the Aoos river, which flows to the north and through Albania into the Adriatic Sea and has created the homonym artificial lake, the Arachthos river that flows to the south and ends up to the Gulf of Amvrakikos, the Pineios river etc.

The continental climate brings a long and hard winter with heavy rain- and snowfalls.

The mountainous configuration of the region and the climate determine the occupation of the inhabitants. The majority deals with the wood processing (carvings, furniture, iconostases, barrels, beehives etc), the cattle breeding, the cheese making, tourism that shows a remarkable development in the last years and, up to a certain degree, the agriculture.

Leonidio Arkadias