In the mountains north of Ioannina, forty-odd stone villages cling to the slopes of the Pindus, linked by cobbled mule paths and arched bridges that seem to grow out of the rock. This is Zagori, a region of grey slate roofs, plane trees, rushing streams and one of the deepest gorges in the world, Vikos. In 2023 it was added to the World Heritage list as a cultural landscape, recognising how people and mountains shaped each other here over centuries.
The history is surprising. Under the Ottomans, Zagori enjoyed a privileged self-government, and many of its men went abroad as merchants and traders, to Constantinople, Romania and Russia. They sent money home, and that wealth built the solid mansions, churches and schools you see today, as well as the famous stone bridges, many paid for by local benefactors. Kipi, with its triple-arched bridge, and the area around Kalogeriko and Plakida are the classic places to see them.
For riding, Zagori is a delight and a challenge. The roads climbing from the Ioannina–Konitsa highway into the villages are narrow, steep and full of hairpins, often with drops on one side and no barriers. The climb to Papingo, with its tight switchbacks below the limestone towers of Astraka, is unforgettable. Surfaces are mostly good but can carry gravel, goats and the occasional fallen rock. In spring the hills are full of wildflowers; in autumn the forests glow. Winter brings snow to the higher villages.
Vikos Gorge, cut by the Voidomatis river, is best seen from the viewpoint near Monodendri, where the walls drop almost vertically for hundreds of metres. The Voidomatis is famously clear and cold, and the whole area lies within the Vikos–Aoös National Park, with bears, wolves and chamois in the high forests. The smell of wild oregano and pine fills the air on a warm day.
Fuel is the main thing to plan. Ioannina, about twenty-seven kilometres away, is the reliable choice, with Konitsa and the main road as backups; the villages themselves have no stations. Food, though, is everywhere: tavernas in every village serve pites, the region's famous savoury pies of greens, cheese or meat, along with grilled lamb and local wine. Stay a night if you can; the villages after dark are magical.