"Epirus, another Greece" a Metsovon Travel Page by JLBG

Metsovo is a mountain village of Epirus, clung on the slopes of the Pindus massif at an elevation of 1,160 meters with a population of 5,000.

It used to be reached by a narrow and winding mountain road. It is now easily accessed by the new E90 that links Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki.

It is :
53 km east to Ioannina (1h).
126 km east to Igoumenitsa (1h30)
300 km west to Thessaloniki (4h)

Its population is mostly Vlach (named also Arumanian) and thus, besides Greek, speaks a Rumanian dialect. In Vlach, the city is named Aminciu. The Vlachs were originally shepherds who followed their flocks grazing from Romania to the Pindus mountains.

I have visited Metsovo several times from 1976 to 2006. I have seen the village develop and become more and more touristy. However, though in summer, it is now visited during the day by loads of tourists, in the evening it has kept a great part of its special aspect and life. I have never visited it in winter but it seems to be a major skiing resort in Greece. The first times I visited Metsovo, a significant number of the inhabitants (the oldest) wore on a regular basis their traditional clothing. The last times, that was not the case anymore but they seem to still wear it for special occasions such as marriages. If you want to visit the old Metsovo, climb in the narrow passages where no car (and few tourists!) will go !