The Zagorochoria they are an ideal destination for a winter getaway and will take you on a journey to the authenticity and genuine tradition of the Greek countryside.
Zagorochoria is made up of 46 villages that are scattered among green mountains and lush areas of pines and firs between the mountains Tymfi, Mitsikeli and Smolika, in the heart of Epirus.
One of the villages – retreats that offer absolute relaxation is the amazing Kapesovo which administratively belongs to the Municipality of Zagori and is about 43 kilometers from Ioannina.
The picturesque village preserves the traditional Zagori architecture, with the stone two-story mansions and the stone-paved paths and cobblestones.
The village is located a short distance from the Vikos gorge, where from some parts of the village the view towards it is panoramic.
Among the attractions of the village, the Paschalios School, founded in 1861, stands out. It is an imposing building that is an excellent example of the continental architecture. The Paschalios School was donated by the brothers Constantinos and Pavlos Paschalis in order to function as the village school.
The Paschalios School operated until 1986, while since 1995 the building houses a folklore museum. Its ground floor was designed in such a way as to represent the traditional Zagoris residence. In its exhibits, the Paschalios School includes a number of tools that were used during the two previous centuries. An original copy of the Great Charter of Riga Feraios is preserved in the rich library of the School.
In addition, the Paschalios School functions as a cultural center and a multipurpose venue for various events. The entrance is free for the public, but the School does not operate in an organized manner and in order to have access you will have to contact a villager.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, many Kapesovites distinguished themselves as hagiographers (bogades in the local dialect) and woodcarvers and many of the churches of Zagori and Epirus in general were decorated with the works of local craftsmen. A typical example of the excellent hagiographic art is the church of Agios Nikolaos a short distance from the central square, which was erected in 1793 at the expense of Ioannoutzos Alexios Karamesini of Capesov, while the hagiographers of the church were Ioannis Athanasiou and Anastasis Anagnostou.
It is a three-aisled basilica with a courtyard in the southern part of the plot which adjoins the road above the square. On the south and west sides, this building is surrounded by a timber-roofed portico which leads to two entrances to the temple, one to the south and one to the west, respectively. It is divided into three sections along its length.
For hiking lovers, it is worth crossing the stone path that connects Kapesovo with the neighboring Vradeto.
The famous staircase of Bradetos consists of 1100 steps and 39 turns, while it has 3 lanes, two built with white stones for people and one with black stones for animals.
This famous stone structure, 1,200 meters long, took about 20 years to complete and was built 200 years ago by local craftsmen using local stones.
Until 1973 it was the only road connecting Vradeto with the rest of the villages and to this day it is kept in excellent condition.
During your visit to Zagori, don’t neglect to try the traditional local products, such as: feta cheese, yogurt, fresh butter, sour milk, Zagori pies, flour pies or caso pies, blatsaria (vegetable pie with cornmeal flour), nettle pie, lentil pie and sweet milk pie.
The village of Kapesovo is about 5 hours from Athens.