Prespes 2025 - Triethnes+
Date: August 22, 2025
Region: Thessaly, Epirus & Western Macedonia, Greece.
Overview
In August 2025 we participated in a family trip to Prespes in the Greek-Macedonian border for my brother’s music festival “Triethnes+” which would be taking place for the second year. This year instead of returning back to Athens by car we would drive to Prespes as an extended road-trip, and I would return on a Sunday by plane. Our itinerary covered 10 days starting from Athens and heading to Meteora and then traversing Pindos internally using some remote valleys. We would cross Asporpotamos and continue into Valia Kalda before connecting Samarina to Kastoria via the remote area of Kotyli. For the final few days we would visit the nearby area of Prespes including the Arcturos sanctuaries in Nymfaio and the local area of Prespes with it curiosities. Follow along on this nature-centric tour of North Western Greece.
Interactive Map
Day 1: Driving North
We left Athens on Friday just after the market close and embarked on the 3:30 hour drive North towards the town of Kalabaka (”Καλαμπάκα”) located on the Thessaly Plain, and at the foot of Meteora. While things did begin a bit hectically, we were soon far into our drive and arrived in Theopetra just after sundown. Without much fanfare we made our way to the spectacular balcony of Meteoron Panorama (4.4 ⭐ | +5,000), arguably one of the most impressive outdoor dining settings in the country.
View of the South Group of Meteora from Meteoron Panorama.
We left at around midnight and widthdrew to our rooms at our hotel, Theopetra Home (4.9⭐ | 87) in the village of the same name. We managed to also play a bit with the well behaved cats who live there.
Make sure to reserve one of the front-row balcony tables, it is well worth the trouble.
Day 2: Meteora
On Saturday, we planned on lingering around Meteora for the majority of the day, ticking off our sports and culture lists. The main objective for the day would be for Terry and myself to have a full climbing session on a “Meteoron” (rock pillar), and for Nieve to visit the monasteries. Since none of us had visited the newly reopened Theopetra Cave & Museum, that would also be one of the key visits of the day. Considering our hotel’s location just below Theoptera, we would first climb, then join the group at the hotel and start sightseeing from there.
Climbing on Doupiani
Our first order of business, and my own main interest, of the day, would be climbing on the famous Meteora formations. To do this in good form we employed the services of local guide Vassili Theodorou (ClimbMeteora) since we had only climbed here once before; and a notably boring session as well. At his recommendation we met on the base of Doupiani/Doupianifels (Δουπίανη) rock just before the Monastery of St. Nicholas, here a series of first pitches ranging between 5a- to 5c+ would serve as our test pieces.
A classic Greek view on the way to the crag, Meteora impressive as always.
After getting a little lost with the parking situation we made our way to the wall (2 minute approach) and begun our session on P1 of Isidora (5a- | 30m). After setting up the Top-Rope on the closed anchors, Vasili explained the basics of Meteora technique, which uses the pebbles of the conglomerate as holds, as well as the holes left by them on the ‘cement’ surface. The straightforward route presented no problem as both Terry and myself on-sighted the route in no time. Our style was yet to come into form so we moved one route right and onto P1 of Interim High / Zwischenhoch (5a+ | 30m). This route offered a bit more complex terrain and introduced us to climbing on conglomerate ‘negatives’, which formed exceptional edges on this route. By now we had figured out the composed and careful style required and got the on-sight here as well. Increasing the difficulty we moved further left on the face.
Climbing on Daedalus (5c | 40m).
Deep focus low on Ostria (5c | 30m).
Here we started with the amazing P1 of Ostria (5c | 30m) which offered a sustained slab interrupted by a tiny ledge and near vertical ‘step’ leading to a run-out. The first section provided little resistance and was mastered quickly and in great style. Reaching the ledge I was quickly confronted with the daunting prospect of climbing on the vertical conglomerate terrain, which on account of its steepness had been smoothed down. While the feeling of being pushed away from the wall was seriously unpleasant, the sustained crux was a true test of mind-control. With that behind it was no problem to finish the route in good style and get another on-sight. Sadly, the situation developed differently for Terry whose shoes were woefully small and who bailed just before the crux. A good effort on the easy part nonetheless. Now with Terry almost surely done for the day we moved left again and tackled P1 of Daedalus (5c | 40m), a higher and more sustained route in a similar style, but with a shorter crux. This route did indeed provide to be a fun experience combined with some of the terror of the crux, but its additional length was a welcome closer to an incredibly fun taster session for this spectacular slice of earth.
Theopetra Cave
After our session we drove back to Theopetra and picked up the rest of our group, planning to visit the newly re-opened Theopetra Cave, the oldest archeological site in Greece with finding dating as far back as 130,000. The cave, situated on the North face of the Theopetra limestone formation offers an exceptional view towards Meteora and is quite large. Within, several modifications and artifacts betray human activity. While the most plentiful are the charred remains of camp fires, notable are the footprints and the makeshift entrance wall.
The interior of Theopetra Cave.
Neolithic spear & arrow heads on display in the museum.
The majority of the artifacts - including 3 sets of human remains - are exhibited in the “Theopetra Education and Interpretation Center” (why not just “Museum”?) at the entrance of the village below. Here we were greeted with the exceptional collection spanning some 125,000 years, along with very well curated information on the archeological process itself. Among the highlights are the stone tools, which illustrate millennia of human development, gold jewelry, and human remains. I found this to be an excellent museum, although I was saddened to hear that the installation of the rock-fall protection nets - required to reopen the cave - took 8 whole years!
Varlaam Monastery
Monastery of Varlaam as seen from the parking area.
After indulging with some pre-history we drove to the famous and crowded Meteora Monasteries, specifically the Monastery of Varlaam, perched on an inconspicuous precipice just before the Monastery of Great Meteoron. Here after parking far far away on account of the crowds we made our way up the steep and busy steps to the entrance. Nieve being in shorts on account of the heat naturally had to don the customary provided fabric as a skirt. We spent a short while enjoying the views on the scorching veranda before touring the premises, with highlight such as the enormous wine barrel, and lifting winch. Before leaving we visited the underground museum housing the Monastery’s collection of books and religious items, while interesting the crowds and our scheduled called for us to leave. But not before buying the first of many postcards for Nieve’s collection.
Agios Dimitrios
After a short supply stop in Kalabaka we begun making our way NNW towards the juncture for our next hotel, somewhere below Koziakas (1,901m) [P-663]. Having some extra time we agreed to pay a visit to the village of Agios Dimitrios where the Meteora conglomerate rock is visible but still part of the surrounding hills of Antichasia (1,424m) [P-564]. These exposed outcrops offer a small window into the geologic past of Meteora and are an interesting sight for returning visitors.
Meteora Conglomerate outcropping above Agios Dimitrios.
The chapel of Agios Dimitrios at which we sat
Parking at the small chapel of Agios Dimitrios above the village we were lucky to run into a local shepherd who reassured from my friendly hello left his herd of 15 or so sheep promptly turned on the faucet of a local spring and offered us a refreshing drink. With his dogs sleeping & playing close by he shared with us details of his simple life in this forgotten village making this relaxing stop a true highlight.
Under Koziakas
Driving away from Agios Dimitrios we crossed Pineios River heading South and drove up towards Xrysomilia (”Χρυσομηλία“) following the South fork of Malakasiotiko Ravine. The smooth ascent was enjoyable under the afternoon clouds although we were slowed by a wedding convoy just under Xrysomilia. About 1 hour after leaving Kalabaka we reached our hotel for the night, Wooden Village (4.7 ⭐ | 327), settling into our cozy 2 bedroom chalet. At around 20:00 we drove to Pertouli (”Περτούλι“) where we enjoyed a pleasant dinner at Tavern “Του Παναγίωτη” (4.5⭐ | +2,000) before an early night. I ended up spending most of the evening stressed out as I was under the impression that I had lost my single packet of cigarettes only to find them on my hotel bed!
Day 3: Aspropotamos
On this Sunday our original plans called for an ascent of Triggia (2,204) [P-804] some 45 minutes away from our accommodation. On account of the previous long day, and the many kilometers of driving required on Sunday anyway, Terry lobbied for a change of plans, which I accepted and we decided on Koziakas (1,901m) [P-663] as our consolation prize. Upon calling the local refuge to enquire about access road conditions we were unfortunately informed that due to fire hazard access and activities are limited. With no other quick alternatives for the day we set off on the long road to Aspropotamos, following the North-West bound route of the old Ottoman caravanners through Pindos. Starting at Kamnaitiko North of Pyli (”Πύλη”) we continue North through Asporpotamos cross the watershed divide towards Metsovo (”Μέτσοβο”). If time permits I would attempt an ascent of Megali Spanoura (1,890m) on Skafida Pass (1,623m).
Chapels of Kamnaitiko
Bratsiassa (2,118m) as seen from Pyrra roadside.
Chapel of St. Nicholas at Kamnaitiko.
Trying to make the most of the day’s situation we left the Wooden Village hotel for a long day on the road, luckily for most involved the first stop would be a pleasant river beach. Leaving Pertouli Fields we passed through Pertouli again and continued West, following the Kamnaitiko Ravine upriver. As we passed the the small road-side chapel by the village of Pyrra (”Πυρρά“) we indulged in the views of the alpine giants of Bratsiassa (2,118m) [P-523] and Avgo (2,146m) [P-834], as well as the latter's’ massive sub-peaks Loupata (2,060m) and Marosa (2,020m). No more than 15 minutes later we were stopped by the sight of a chapel nestled into a spectacular ferruginous cliff, stopping we paid a quick visit to the Chapel of St. Nicholas. Situated on a steep cliffside in this quiet valley it made for a pleasant stop and while the inside was locked, the fresco painted into the rock above was a show-stopper but yet simply a forerunner for these outdoor frescos which were to see plenty more in Prespes. Leaving the chapel I couldn’t help myself from trying a couple moves on a lovely boulder by the entrance.
Tria Potamia Junction
Just under 1 hour of pleasant driving along Kamnaitiko from Pertouli brings one to the peaceful junction of ‘three rivers’ (”Τρία Ποτάμια”). This actual two-river junction connects Aspropotamos (The White River) and Kraniotiko Ravine forming the main body of Achelous (”Αχελώος”) flowing N to S and eventually reaching the Ionian Sea. This year locals had the foresight to lightly dam the river, creating a large slow-flow pool of some depth, perfect for swimming. I planned for this location as opposed to the usually much shallower spots higher up the river. We enjoyed more than an hour under the hot mountain sun and swam in the clear river water, heated to near pleasant temperature.
The waters of Aspropotamos at Tria Potamia.
Delightfully inviting cool water during the hot noon.
Chaliki
Krapraria (”Κραπραριά”) ancient stone brigde.
Leaving Tria Potamia we drove North, now following the course of Aspropotamos (”Ασπροπόταμος”) a storied Vlach - Aromanian peoples of mountainous Greece - valley which retained power and distinct culture on account of its control of Skafida Pass (”Πάσσο Σκαφίδας”) connecting Metsovo to the Plain of Thessaly and the East side of Mbarros Pass (”Πάσσο Μπάρρου”). Wanting to have plenty of time to enjoy the exceptional food of La Verliga, we did not stop in any of the villages to view some of the famous local architecture; undertaken using the Platy Limestone. We did however had to pay a visit to the Monastery of the Theotokos (”Μοναστήρι την Παναγίας Γαλακτοτροφούσας”) at the foot of the Mbarros route, a place which has remained almost as unspoiled as ever. Even here however, human brutality left its mark, as the majority of the monastery, including much of its fresco art was burned during WW2 by German forces.
Leaving the Monastery we continued North for the short drive to the village of Chaliki, the highest of Aspropotamos, and at the base of Lakmos (2,237m) [P-376]. The village maintained a special status under 19th century Ottoman Rule and flourished as a center for Orthodoxy and Hellenism. As we have done in the past, we visited the excellent tavern La Verliga (4.6⭐ | +166) and enjoyed the warm company of the owner - whom we are happy to call a friend. Awaiting our food, I took Nieve and a fellow diner, a solo traveler about our age, to the old Krapraria stone bridge at the last frontier of civilization on the Achelous. Water levels were significantly diminished compared to my June visit a few years ago, but the colors were nonetheless vibrant and the frogs plentiful. We walked back up the limestone steps to the village and indulged in local delicacies, including plenty of tsipouro.
Mikri Spanoura (1,871m)
I realized that latter fact maybe too late, as my heart pounded on the steep scree and open country of the Megali Spanoura (1,890m) [P-104] ridge. This incredible knife-edge spans nearly 2km in length, N to S, and between 100-500m of direct exposure on either side, situated on the edge of Lakmos (2,237m) [P-376]; while lacking prominence it surely made it up with amazing views and a fun ridge walk. Read more about the ascent in the Mikri Spanoura (1,871m) [P-5] blog post.
Venetikos Springs
Having taking much longer than hoped for this evening hike we were hard pressed to refuel and make the 45 minute drive from Metsovo to Kranea (”Κρανέα”) were we would spend the night. We drove over onto Auxenas/Katara plateau, from which multiple major rivers originate, and continued on the regional road of Valia Kalda (The Cold Valley) towards Milia; eventually reaching our roadside hotel La Moara (4.4⭐ | 360). While unimpressed by the overtly kitsch decor and the cement-built rooms we couldn’t fault the location. Under the orange sunset we enjoyed the calm riverside and late at night the same spot offered a lovely view of the night sky.
Small waterfall on upper Venetikos, right in front of our hotel.
Day 4: Valia Kalda & Portitsa
While we had originally planned to stay in Metsovo instead of Kranea a hotel-booking mistake meant we would have to change overnight spots and essentially back-track from Kranea to ascend Flegga (2,139m) [P-405] and then join the rest of our group. This was not a problem in terms of time driven to and from the trailhead but ended up forbidding us from visiting some of the roadside stops between Flegga (2,139m) [P-405] and Kranea which we wanted to see. Luckily we would still be able to ascend our hiking objective and then spend an extended amount of time at the day’s best swimming spot, the Gorge of Portitsa.
Flegga (2,139m)
The orange sky of the August dawn complimented the beige of the dry grass of the Katara Plain as we winded on the dirt roads towards the Aoos Springs Shelter which would be our starting point. As we ascended far above the large shimmering reservoir, we reached the low slung alpine section of the mountain and we made our way to the summit surrounded by the dying giant Macedonian Oaks. Learn more about our ascent of Felgga (2,139m) [P-405] on the associated blog post.
Grevena
After our success with Flegga (2,139m) [P-405], even at a slower pace, we took advantage of skipping the sights between the mountain and Kranea to resupply at Grevena (”Γρεβενά”) and enjoy a longer outing at Portitsa. Funnily enough on our first stop in Grevena we even got a postcard with the place we were about to see. Having never properly visited this city before we were sorely disappointed as other than a busy and cafeteria-full central street the rest of the town looked and felt rather non-descript. After buying groceries, ice, cigarettes, and visiting the pharmacy we got on the road again bound WNW, towards Valia Kalda but heading for the Limestone fault boundary of Orliakas (1,526m) [P-215]. Walking to our car the sight of the clocktower was a welcome distraction from the poor 1970 & 80s architecture. Nearly as soon as we shut the car doors, a slight drizzle began.
The clock-tower of Grevena in the city center.
Gorge of Portitsa
The approach to Portitsa via the newly paved road is in-itself spectacular. Driving towards the village of Spilaio (”Σπήλαιο”), a massive limestone cliff and its overhang seem unapproachable but as the driver comes closer they realize a narrow one-lane road cuts right across this cliff, exposed some 250m on the East, and only a few centimeters from the driver window. Descending into Portitsa from Spilaio one will also be taken aback by the lone tower of limestone which keeps a watchful eye on the visitors to this remote valley.
The Gorge of Portitsa and the Arched Bridge.
Looking into the gorge from the bridge.
Walking down to the Portitsa Arched Bridge, right under the spectacular cliffs of the Pindos fault and looking into the narrow slit of the gorge is an experience in it of itself. We enjoyed the vista while we ate our lunch by the river and remained somewhat protected from the sun on account of the clouds. At some point we walked into the gorge which was up to 70cm deep at points, and contending with the pebbles we walked about 200m or so up to the rapids. While we didn’t get a glimpse of the loud falls into which the river progressed, we enjoyed exceptional vertical views of the 150m high cliffs, sculpted with a plethora of caves. A large limestone boulder of good quality served as a quick VB level climb for myself. On the way to the car we also noticed the old bolts left on the cliff adjacent to the bridge (left side) which tackled amazing rock but were now long disused.
Samarina
From Portitsa we drove onwards to Samarina (”Σαμαρίνα”), Greece’s highest year round inhabited village at around 1,500m situated on the slopes of Smolikas (2,637m) [P-1736]. We made sure to refuel at Grevena before leaving the area as no gas station would be found for more than 200km of remote roads between there and Kastoria. On the way we stopped at the Tsourgakia Geosite where the spectacular Pindos fault has given form to gigantic cliffs, and the impressive and well named peak of Petra (1,327m) [P-100] which literally stopped us in our tracks.
Megali Panagia church of Samarina.
After an hours drive from Portitsa we checked into our hotel, La Noi (4.7⭐ | 228) where we were welcomed by a puppy Greek Shephard and given plenty of tips for our ascent of Vasilitsa (2,248m) on the following day by the owner. I had never been to Samarina before, since our visit to the summit of Smolikas (2,637m) [P-1736] in 2017 meant ascending from the village of Pades (”Πάδες”) further SSW. At dusk we walked into the village square (plateia/πλατεία) and enjoyed a great dinner at tavern “Η Ωραία Σαμαρίνα” (4.7⭐ | 287) before watching some the extremely silly original The Hulk movie.
Day 5: Vasilitsa, Ontria & Kastoria
This day would be the most complex and tiresome, requiring a morning ascent and then continuing over nearly 200km of remote roads towards Kastoria (”Καστοριά”) via Voio and Kotyli Pass (1,500m), a truly spectacular valley under the “Arenes” massif of Grammos (2,523m) [P-1313]. From Kastoria we were then to again continue for another hour to our ultimate destination, Prespes (”Πρέσπες”). If timing permitted we were also to hike up Mikra Ontria (1,531m) [P-86] a remote and in context insignificant massif if the heart of this remote corner of Western Macedonia.
Vasilitsa (2,248m)
It is hard not to feel excited setting out from a place like Samarina in the early morning, as everything is blended with the blue and orange hues of the dawn light. Positioned on the Eastern side of the Northern Pindos Group (2,637m), the peak of Vasilitsa (2,248m) [P-724] offers a basic hike but incredible views of its neighbors, Smolikas (2,637m) [P-1736] and Timfi (2,4XXm) [P-XXX]. Learn more about our cold and foggy trip to the summit in the blog post below.
Voio Sandstones
Leaving Samarina in the late morning after enjoying the great hotel breakfast, we followed an excellent dirt road for 20km head NNE until reaching the village of Chelimodi (”Χελιμόδι”). On these roads we encountered few things other than local cows. We continued driving towards Eptachori (”Επταχώρι”) in the Arenes Valley and began to make out glimpses of the exceptional local geology. It was not until we arrived in Eptachori itself, simply to refill our bottles at the local spring, that we got a good look at the incredible sheer sandstone cliffs. Colored in the dark colors of water erosion, the balconies and ledges of the massif was a sight to behold. Continuing towards Kotyli Pass (1,500m) now again to the NNE, we were lucky to see larger outcrops of the sandstone revealed by the action of a local river. Even luckier it seems we were as we ascended Kotyli Pass and caught a good look of a wild doe.
Sandstone cliffs of Voio in Eptachori.
A great sandstone canyon with sheer cliffs.
Mikra Ontria (1,531m)
After the customary stretch and photos break at Kotyli Pass, we continued onwards to Vrachos (”Βράχος“) utilizing a meandering stretch of dirt road in the heart of Voio’s lush North forest. Successfully dealing with 15km and 45 minutes of difficult off-roading in a very remote area with no cell coverage, we reached the equally wild Ontria Col. (1,445m), where a small vegetable garden and a through are all that can be found. From here we enjoyed a spectacular 30 minute romp to the summit of Mikra Ontria (1,531m) [P-86] harvesting the fruits of our laborious drive. Read more about this exceptionally unique peak in the post below.
Vrachos
Seashell fossils from the quarry at the reservoir.
Less than 15 minutes from the col. brought us back down to asphalt after almost 3 hours and so we decided to park and rest in the center of the nearest village, Vrachos. After getting a bit lost we found the πλατεία, only no church was to be seen anywhere; quite odd. People were also nowhere to be found, although a local dog and cat made our acquaintance. Most interesting however in Vrachos - besides the artificial lake which we did not visit - was the Private Museum of Traditional Garments which mainly was a =guys cabinet of curiosities of local origin. Among the items was a working two-person saw and “test log”, a part of a German WW2 bomb, and a fragment of local sandstone with seashell fossils!
Dispilio Neolithic Village
From Vrachos we drove down-river towards the Orestiada Lake and basin, through a scenic country road with amazing views of the sub-sea geology of the area. At one point, according to my dad, a road-side outcrop exhibited visible shell fossils. Our first stop in Kastoria would be the reproduction Neolithic Lakeside Village at Disipilio (”Δισπηλιό”). Here we were instructed to use the online tour, using the free Wi-Fi (!), which I read out loud as we walked around completely alone around the village structures.
Dispilio Neolithic Village on Lake Orestiada in Kastoria, Greece.
The round huts at the back of the site.
The museum seeks to offer a glimpse into Neolithic life at lake-side sites in Northern Greece and Southern Skopje & Albania, and allows visitors to see each aspect of life within a different structure. For example, hunting, gathering, and tool-making for this purpose are contained within a single hut, while religious practices in another. While the interiors are left to their fate, the collection of objects and mannequins do bring the site to life. The web guide itself is quite good and is just long enough to be interesting without being overwhelming. All in all I would consider this as a high quality historical-cultural site/visit and worth seeing if one is in the area.
Kastoria
As planned we drove into Kastoria and towards the Cave of the Dragon passing the busy promenade and parking near the cafe to enjoy a few minutes of rest by the Lake. Nieve and myself chatted while indulging into some bird watching and my parents had a coffee and some food at the cafe. We drove back around the peninsula and into the old town, the views of the mountains reflected on the lake were spectacular, and so was the local traditional architecture, still visible in certain neighborhoods.
![Vitsi (2,182m) [P-636] as seen from Kastoria.](https://i.imgur.com/1hCLmC9.jpeg)
Vitsi (2,182m) [P-636] as seen from Kastoria.
Into Prespes
We left Kastoria in the early afternoon and under the cover of dusk made our way towards Prespes, Greece’s last frontier. The 1 hour drive was uneventful and we reached Prespes Pass (1,145m) and ascended towards the lakes under the final light of the day. We were blessed to see some of the view but were much more excited to settle into our hotels and eat dinner. We would spend the rest of our vacation based out of the village of Laimos (”Λαιμός”) at the Milos (”Μύλος”) Guesthouse (4.9⭐ | 36). After leaving our things and changing into fresh clothes we went up to the village of Agios Germanos (”Άγιος Γερμανός”) to eat dinner at the excellent tavern “Το Πρέσπιον” (4.8⭐ | +1,000).
Day 6: Arcturos
Wednesday would be our last day before the evening events of the Triethnes+ Festival, and given that yesterday’s full-on outdoors schedule did not really sit well with some people in our group (my dad). As a consolation we let him call the shots for this last day, at least we would get to stay away from Prespes for the day, making it certain that until Saturday night we would not leave the area again. His idea of a good day out would be to drive the hour and a half (1:30 hours) to Arcturos, visit both sancuaries in the same day, then eat and walk around Florina. Terry did not find it above her to sneak in something she wanted to do, a visit to KYR-YANNI Winery on the shores of Lake Vegoritida and in the shadow of Voras ( ) [P-]. Such our day again started in the car, on this day driving up the swerving curves of Pisoderi Pass.
Random Scrap Yard
After descending into Florina and continuing South to Nymfaio, we found ourselves stopping at literally, a random scrap yard. This was on account of Jason of course who needed some iron bars to make a frame for his piano, at T-1 to the event. Alas we spent nearly an hour there, in the process we met a burly guy who was doing traffic control at the gate, given it was extremely busy, but happened to be a local farmer who was waiting for his friend who was buying sheet metal and just picked up the role due to circumstance. He was a natural for the 20 or so minutes he spent doing it!
Arcturos Wolf Sanctuary
We reached the village of Aetos a bit late due to this scrap metal silly business but luckily right on time for the next tour group. This sanctuary, one of the two Arcturos operates, houses Wolves, Lynx, and Jackals in special habitat pens. All these animals have been rescued from private ownership across Europe. By the entrance there is an area where Greek Shepherds are also being taken care off and often rehabilitated to productive work.
Apparently the Greek Shephard is genetically identical to the Wolf it has just developed a dog-like look and a larger size, by as much as 20kg. As a result Wolves infrequently attack Greek Shephard dogs in the wild.
On our visit we listened to the indoor science explainer and then were toured around the pens. Due to the extreme heat of the day (~30C), none of the animals were awake or visible. We were only able to see the paw of a sleeping Lynx, but we were all rewarded with a majestic and huge Common Buzzard landing right in front of us in one of the enclosures!
Mikri Tsouma (1,347m)
We were kindly informed as to the break between groups from 14:00 to 15:00 and informed that we could only make the 15:00 tour if we left when we did. We drove up the steep road up to Nymfaio and dumbly parked at the municipality lot at the village entrance. We were still afforded some time, nearly 45 minutes, so I went with Nieve to get coffee and while she drank it in the shaded forest I went for a rapid ascent to a set of Telco towers on the lower part of Tsouma (1,400m), the highest peak of the Nymfaio Shield. I was right to have assumed that they formed a small summit with excellent views of the 2 lakes of the area, Zazari and Chimaditida. The prominence was small, just a point on the ridge to Tsouma (1,400m), but with both my parents and Nieve waiting I could not push further. Up and back in some 4 minutes for 40 meters of gain over 500m, a real sprint.
Lake Zazri and Chimaditida as seen from Mikri Tsouma (1,347m).
The Telco Towers on Mikri Tsouma (1,357m) from the parking.
Arcturos Bear Sanctuary
Once back we quickly set off for the Arcturos Bear Sanctuary deep in the Nymfaio (”Νυμφαίο”) forest, and quite a long walk from the first parking lot. We enjoyed the quaint architecture of the village at its center and did our best to stay protected from the blazing sun. After seeing some people from our group at the lower sanctuary, I grew concerned that, as advertised online the sanctuary would be closed, however the fact that this was not mentioned by the employees in the previous sanctuary was a good omen. Soon I discovered that these people were returning only to bring their cars to a parking lot much closer the the sanctuary, at the end of the village. If only we had known this 15 minutes earlier! We continued through the cobbled walkway down into the sanctuary which was a very pleasant walk on account of the lower temperature under canopy cover.
The Nymfaio school with its unique clock tower.
Nieve walking down the path towards the Arcturos Sanctuary.
A brown bear as seen from the binoculars at Arcturos.
At the sanctuary we had the exact opposite experience to the previous one as all the bears were awake and quite active around the fencing. Following the briefing and Q&A we were toured around the habitats. In most bear activity was quite high, and almost all of the bears were spotted, but a duo enjoying the cool water of their habitat pool stole the show. In our group, so did the binoculars which I bought for Nieve from Decathlon, perfectly fine for close-up bird-spotting, but they became a hot commodity between us when viewing the bears. The extra magnification truthfully makes it feel like you are right next to them; up to 10x is more than enough. They can also be useful for taking photos, although I was not able to perfect it. The experience of seeing the bears was well worth it with Nieve suggesting it being “one of the best things [she’s] ever done”.
KYR-YANNI Winery
We again rushed leaving Arcturos and Nymfaio behind for a 30 minute drive to Lake Vegoritida and the winery of KYR-YANNI, the founder and benefactor of Arcturos, as well as mayor of Thessaloniki. Upon arrival to their factory-like facility we were ushered into their large glass wine-tasting hall and shop. We opted for a mid-range package which covered some of the Terroir wines which Terry wanted to try but could not find in Athens. While the wines were mediocre, as expected for a mass-market producer, the associated snacks of local cheese and Florina-pepper dip were exceptional. Capping off our wine-tasting we were taking on a small tour of their aging storage downstair to observe some of the aging practices, e.g. barrel vs. bottle. While interesting I was quite bummed as the natural settings at which we could have had a meal were spectacular and instead we “learned” more about commercial wine from a winery with no endemic grape varieties and no traditional techniques. All in, not one of my favorites, although the staff was stellar.
Florina
In a bit of a sour mood, on account of myself finally, we got into Florina for a walk and to buy some supplies, and for Nieve and me also some food. We parked somewhere close to the river but quite high up and walked down along it enjoying the towns’ architecture. On our way we found a supermarket and were able to buy supplied without a detour. We were soon instructed to get going but given that it was all to deliver those iron bars to Jay I made sure to get some extra time to buy some food. We ended up getting some slices of Pizza somewhere around the center and paid less than €1.80 for each!
Back in Prespes
We drove back into Prespes in a rather sour and down mood given our fights throughout the day but watching the sun set over the lakes as we descended into the Prespes basin moved me to tears. It is a true blessing to live in such a beautiful country and be able to travel around. My mind at once went to the story of Pavlos Melas (”Πάυλος Μελάς”) which I had explored during visit last year and who had lost his life protecting Hellenism in this remote corner of our world, one of the oldest frontiers of it, and one that continues to persist since the fall of Byzantium.
Beautiful sunset in Prespes.
For dinner we decided to split and stay inside getting some Pizza (?) from the well rated tavern pizzeria “Αναμνήσεις“ (4.6⭐ | 18) which not only made pizza but also did delivery, for the small distances to local hotels. We ordered two pizzas and ate maybe half of each.
Day 7: Start of Triethnes+
Thursday would be the first day of the Triethnes+ Festival which my brother Jason was organizing and for which we had engaged in this elaborate road-trip. Our day should also be restful as I had now also tired out Nieve who looked forward to spend time in, as opposed to by, the lake. As for myself, I still felt fresh and after some late night planning and an overbearing concern about the presence of Vipers up to 1,600m I decided to ‘hike’ the dirt road network to the chapel of Agios Ioannis (919m) [P-43] situated on a prominent hill at the East side of the “Λαιμός” or neck which separates the two lakes. Our day would wrap up at the old quarry in Mikrolimni where the nights concert would take place.
Agios Ioannis (919m)
I broke away from the sweet embrace of sleep at 6:30am sharp, with plenty of time to hike to my hearts content and return for breakfast. I took a while to get ready on account of not being settled in and I broke away from our accommodation in the cold morning. Learn more about this scenic walk near Agios Germanos which ascends Agios Ioannis (919m) and reaches the old Greek border-station on the post below.
Triethnes+ at Pyli
After my charming walk and an equally good breakfast, we headed for the first event of the festival, a concert/body-art exhibit situated within the Chapel of St. Nicholas on the shores of the lake at the village of Pyli (”Πύλη“). For the event, the body-art artist used clay to morph his face in real time and bits of nature from the lake such as branches, leaves, and stones to amplify his appearance. At the same time there was an experimental percussion ‘sound-track’ played live. The show was as agreed quite interesting and melded well with the naturalistic aspect and setting, however, we agreed that it may have come off a bit too strong or weird for an opening event.
Vrontero
The old periptero of Vrontero.
With the show completed we took advantage of being on this remote side of the lake to drive to the more remote village of all, Vrontero (”Βροντερό”). This village is nestled in a karstic depression at the center of the peninsula forming WNW of Laimos and it played a crucial part in the Greek Civil War. In fact, the Communist-aligned forced made their last stand in the area, mainly living in caves, with many kept in good condition today. Due to the heat we did not make the trek, but were able to see a number of the monuments put up in recent years by party sympathizers. Yet again we found no people and the state of the village was extremely poor. I simply shot a photo of the old periptero which now sits derelict. At the entrance of the village stands an impressive old church which we did not have the foresight to visit.
Agios Germanos Delta
Returning from Vrontero we aimed to spend some time by the beach, either at Psarades or near Agios Germanos. Luckily for us we went to Agios Germanos to pick things up from one of the hotels and was instructed as to the best beach in the area, the sandy stretch on the NE side of Agios Germanos River Delta, on the shores of Big Prespa Lake (”Λίμνη Μεγάλη Πρέσπα”). We drove the farming access road all the way to the shore, further than visible on Google Maps on account of the declining water-level. A large parking area and a volleyball net mark the “beach”, there are also trash cans.
Nieve observing birds at the delta from the beach.
We set up two camping chairs in the shade by the back of the sandy area and waded / swam in the water which was generally quite warm. The depth around this area is not too great and we walked some 100m off-shore until the water got to swimming depth. This beach also served as an exceptional bird-watching spot on account of the river. We stayed for just over 2 hours and enjoyed relaxing in the lake and under the sun.
“Chaonia” Concert
We got back to our hotel rather early to shower and relax before the first proper night show at Mikrolimni quarry. The event was a piano recital played by Austrian master Anton Gerzenberg alongside the Greek polyphonic group “ΧΑΟΝΙΑ”, now propelled into mainstream popularity for their collaboration with Social Waste for the new album “REBEDELE”. We greatly enjoyed the show, and especially so the “dance” of hundreds of Barn Swallows during sunset. After the concert we went for dinner at tavern “Στου Χάσου” (4.8⭐ | +500), where the “ΧΑΟΝΙΑ” group was organizing their return to Agios Germanos for dinner. On account of my brother, they surprised us with an impromptu concert supported with a few instruments kept by the taverns’ proprietors. Their final song of this semi-private concert was a special one, written and referencing the atrocities being carried out in Palestine.
Gerzenberg and ΧΑΟΝΙΑ at Mikrolimni (Credits: Triethnes+).
Day 8: Great Prespa & St. Achillios
The plan for Friday would be for me to mainly get to enjoy a full rest-day with a late wake-up and little to no physical exercise. Given that the rest of the family had joined us for the weekend, we utilized the time to do the classic tour of Prespes, that is taking the boat from Psarades and then also walking around St. Achillios Island in Little Prespa. Again we would have to attend the evening show which due to logistical issues would also be held at the quarry.
Great Prespa Boat Tour
We left Laimos in the late morning and drove the 30 minutes to the village of Psarades (”Ψαράδες”) the traditional ‘last village’ of Prespes. The village which still uses a number of traditional low-bottomed fishing boats, has a view from its pier which is 100% other countries, making it feel truly like the end of Greece. We had organized the boat outing via phone with the tavern proprietor and former mayor Lazaros (Λάζαρος) who took us out just before noon for the long (2 hour) outing. Our route would take us to the cave monasteries on the SSW shore past Psarades as well as going all the way along Laimos, nearly to the Agios Germanos beach. We did not get to disembark at the monasteries and spent a while listening to Lazaros talk to us about the weird local politics of the area.
Leaving Psarades on the motor-boat.
Both Nieve and myself enjoyed the tour greatly even though we did not get to go off the boat or even swim. This was mainly due to the fact that we got essentially a high quality bird-watching tour, giving us the opportunity to see Cormorants, Grabes, Terns, and Pelicans from up close. Well worth the €20 per person price-tag.
Did you know that Pelicans use their feet as fins while taking off from water? Essentially jumping off the water as they fly away.
Severely exhausted from the mid-day heat, we opted to stay in Psarades for lunch and went to Lazaros’ tavern “Η Ακρολημνία - Λάζαρος” (4.7⭐ | 163) where we had a “light spread” of litteraly x2-x3 of everything on the menu. In similar style we did good work of the local Tsipouro/Raki which is phenomenal.
Island of Saint Achilleios
With full stomachs and the peak noon-heat behind us we left Psarades for the Island of Saint Achilleios which served as a administrative center for the Christianized Bulgars under Boris I in the 900s during his conquest of Northern Greece. It had a short lived golden age as it was destroyed by mercenaries’ in 1073 during a revolt in Bulgaria. Here a beautiful basilica overlooking the Little Prespa Lake and built in old-Christian Bulgarian style is the highlight. The island has a few more building and churches as well as a cross on its highest point with dominating views of lake. However, we opted to just visit the basilica as we were in a rush and it was a rather hot day.
The Basilica of Saint Achilleios.
The Holy Church of Saint Achillius.
Both Nieve and myself, as well as my youngest cousin, took a great interest in the abundance of water fowl and other swamp birds on the 700m promenade walk to the island. Some of the highlights included the Bearded Reedling, Water Rail, and Wood Sandpiper.
Triethnes+ at Mikrolimni
On Friday the event was originally planned to take place on the Island of Saint Achilleios but was moved to the quarry due to the inability to ferry the musical instruments to the island on account of historically low water levels. This event, “Ανακυκλώσημες Μνήμες” would intersect between Italian operatic music and local traditional songs. Yet again we were pleasantly surprised by the performance which was very interesting from both a musical and cultural perspective. The acoustics of the quarry were also properly utilized.
The quarry & orchestral setup at sunset.
After the event we once again decided to stay in on account of increasing fatigue and I really did not want to sleep late before my attempt on Varnous (2,334m) [P-404]. We thus ordered pizza once again from “Αναμνήσεις“ (4.6⭐ | 18) but this time only 1 and we shared it, making sure to finish it. We were deep asleep before midnight.
Day 9: Varnous
Saturday would be our final full day in Prespes and the closing act of our trip. The main business of the day would be to finally attempt to ascend Varnous (2,334m) [P-404], the highest peak of Greek Prespa, and then spend more time on the beach with Nieve until we have to go to the evening event.
Varnous (2,332m)
With palpable excitement I woke up at 06:00am, as ready as I’d ever be for the unknown 15km drive to the trailhead. From there the ascent of Varnous (2,334m) [P-404] would not be too difficult, gaining less than 300m over a couple of kilometers. Our route would take us into the territory of Northern Macedonia, but we first had to get our 4x4 to +2,000m. Read about the complex approach and incredible ambiance of this ascent on the post below.
Agios Germanos Delta
After returning to Laimos rather late on account of the complex driving I managed to get some late breakfast and slowly get ready for the beach. Just after mid-day we got picked up and taken to the Agios Germanos Delta beach which was much busier on this day. We enjoyed some wadding and swimming again but as clouds gathered we spent more time walking and bird watching. I must have stepped on some plant with poisonous spikes as my feet exhibited a painful pin-pricked pattern. While we rested on our chairs a storm finally rolled in, with exceptional winds turning the quiet lake into a terrifying mess of waves. Everyone begun to leave and we called to get a ride and were soon back on our way.
Triethnes+ at Pelekanos Factory
For the Saturday nigh event, the Triethnes+ would play a musical concerto named “Πνοή” from a young Greek composer in the factory of “Pelekanos”, the local bean packaging and marketing cooperative. The musical piece was quite interesting and very nature inspired but seemed in my opinion not to fit the factory setting all too well. That being said general comments were positive all around and we surely enjoyed the event. At its finale a traditional local bronze-instrument band played folk dancing tunes in the storage bay converted into a museum.
The event at Pelekanos (Credits: Triethnes+).
The ambiance of the factory (Credit: Triethnes+).
For our final night we joined the rest of the family in Agios Germanos and dined at tavern “Το Πρέσπιον” (4.8⭐ | +1,000) enjoying yet again the exceptional food on offer. We had to leave early on account of our 6:00am wake-up on the following day.
Day 10: Return
Sunday would be our last morning in Northern Greece as our flight left Kastoria Airport “Aristotle” at 08:25am, having us wake up at 06:00am - twice in a row for me. We drove to the airport in an unmistakably autumn-like inversion with low altitude fog and no winds. As we approached Kastoria the sun made its first appearance.
Kastoria Airport
The tiny Kastoria Airport was a cool curiosity for Nieve who had neither flow from such a simplistic regional airport - it literally has nothing including no stores - or on a Turbo-Prop aircraft such as the ATR on which we flew. We left Kastoria delayed to around 09:00am and reached Athens around 10:00am after a pleasant flight.
Looking out of the window of the ATR.
Statistics
Logistics
Theopetra Home
For the trip’s first night we stayed at the Theopetra Home (4.9 ⭐ | 87) guesthouse which was charmingly quaint and offered access to a great large garden. The views of the illuminated Theopetra formation are also quite impressive. There were a couple friendly and well behaved cats on the property too. The rooms are spacious and well appointed with the bed being ok, there are however few electrical outlets available.
Wooden Village
At the area of Pertouli we stayed at Wooden Village (4.7⭐ | 327), a chalet-type accommodation in which we booked a large two bedroom chalet for all four of us at a good price. While the main-building interior is a bit odd, with a whole carriage being placed inside, the chalets themselves are rather quaint and well built. The breakfast left quite a lot to be desired but the views were excellent.
La Moara Boutique
On Day 3 we stayed in Kranea near Valia Kalda at La Moara Boutique Hotel (4.4⭐ | 360). While advertised as a nature boutique it is a bit of a kitsch motel situation with a wooden built structure. While a spa was on offer we ended up not using due to concerns about hygiene. There is also an outdoor pool although it is above group. The hotel was at a nice location, “at the watermill” as the name implies, with the river passing right in front of it. The only real issue where that the base rooms, advertised differently were just cement boxes with 1 window making them rather hot and stuffy.
La Noi
On Day 4 we stayed in the village of Samarina at the hotel/guesthouse La Noi (4.7⭐ | 228). The guesthouse was excellent with large nicely decorated rooms and an equally large bathroom. There were balconies which is always a huge plus. The hotel is located at a quiet area just South of the village but within walking distance to the square. The breakfast selection and variety was excellent and the owners were knowledgeable and helpful.
Milos Guesthouse
From Day 5 onwards we stayed at Milos Guesthouse (4.9⭐ | 36) in Laimos of Prespes which was an amazing traditional type B&B in a lovely location with ample outdoor space and proximity to nature. The room was spacious and while simple, the stone built architecture and wood kept it charming. The rooms also have a common space with a full kitchen and fridge as well as seating area and board games. The owner was very friendly and helpful and prepared a good breakfast for us every morning in the cafe-mess building at the entrance of the property. We could not have found a better place to stay for 5 whole days!
List of Related Peaks
This is a list of peaks related to this Trip Report in some way. Usually they will be either mentioned explicitly or in a photo. In some cases they may have just been visible in the vicinity but were not worthy of in-context mention. When a peak is denoted with a check then it means I that I have made a successful ascent of that peak.