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Vikos Gorge
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Vikos Gorge - It Rocks!

We had arrived in Greece from Italy, by a ferry from Venice to Igoumenitsa, and then by bus to Ioannina where we decided to stay for a few days.

Thumbing through the guide book, the Vikos Gorge took our interest. So why not, let’s hire a car and go (the car hire was the only way to manage the trip in a day).

The first interesting sight was the massive statue commemorating the local women for their efforts in the Second World War.

Vikos Gorge
On the Zagori road stands the massive monument honouring the contribution of Greek women to the war effort. In Autumn 1940, the Greek army successfully held back an attack by Italian forces coming through the mountains from Albania. The women supported their menfolk by carrying boxes of ammunition and food up to the front line. Thus with their help the ultimate invasion of Greece (by the German army further to the east) was delayed until March 1941.

We soon arrived at the head of the Vikos Gorge.  A sign at the entrance warned that the Gorge was deepest in the world (maybe there is some licence taken here but it is true based on a width-to-depth ratio). 

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The path leading to the Vikos Gorge

We did venture into the gorge. After an hour or more of going down, down, down, we still had no sight of the bottom. We made a  small cairn of rocks on the side of the path to mark the extent of our journey  and resolved that next time we come, we’ll go further.

The small traditional villages around this area are fascinating. Built of local rock, they have stood the test of time.

Vikos Gorge
The local sheep wander past us on their way home. They seemed to know where they were going.

Perhaps one of the highlights of the trip were the old stone bridges of the Zagori area. Again made of local stone, they rise up to a keystone and fall again to the other side – they are indeed beautiful.  You can see one of these bridges in the photo below. Also have a look at the slideshow at the top of the page to see more examples – they are facinating.

The old stone bridges of Zagori
The old stone bridges of Zagori
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4 years ago

Looks amazing, the water is so clear!

Reply to  James
4 years ago

There’s certainly no pollution around these areas in Greece. The regional town of Ioannnina is beautiful – set against a high backdrop of snow-covered mountains.

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Vikos Gorge
Evening approaches on the way back to our base at Ioannina.

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