Konitsa sits at the northern edge of Epirus, in a bowl of mountains close to the Albanian border, and its position tells you what it was for. Roads and rivers meet here, the Aoos coming down from the Pindus range and the Voidomatis joining it nearby. The town, home to about three thousand people, spreads across a hillside above the valley, with stone houses, tidy squares and the sort of cafes where conversation never seems rushed.
The great landmark is the stone bridge over the Aoos, a single graceful arch spanning the river gorge, built in the early nineteenth century. It is one of the largest single-span stone bridges in the Balkans, and standing on it, looking down at the cold, green water, you can feel why it became a symbol of the region. The river is popular for rafting and kayaking in season, which gives the town a cheerful, outdoorsy feel at weekends. To the north rises Smolikas, among the highest mountains in Greece, with snow lingering well into summer.
For a rider, Konitsa is a good fuel and food stop in a thinly populated corner of the country. The roads approaching it wind through valleys with oak, beech and pine, with long, moderate bends and plenty of changes in altitude, and the surface varies from smooth to patched. Distances between villages can be longer than they look on a map, and weather in the mountains can change quickly, so a waterproof layer is useful even when the lowlands are warm. Shepherds and their dogs are part of the scenery, and the dogs take their job seriously.
The food is mountain food, which means pies made with hand-rolled pastry, grilled lamb, cheese, and a lot of wild greens. A slow lunch here, with the Aoos audible in the background, sets up the afternoon nicely. Spring brings snowmelt and high water, autumn brings colour in the forests, and summer is the time to stay late over a cold drink and watch the light fade over the ridges.