The deepest gorge in the world, towering limestone cliffs and ancient Zagori stone villages are all part of the Pindus Mountains of Northern Greece.
The Pindus Range stretches from Albania to central Greece. Scattered throughout these mountains are Zagorian stone villages nestled on the sides of precipitous mountains. The inhabitants are descendants of semi-nomadic people and their inaccessibility allowed them some autonomy during Ottoman times. Trade routes were established by building stone paths and roads to accommodate mule caravans. The Skala of Vradheto is a stretch of cobbled stone stairway winding steeply up a cliff between Tsepelovo and Vradheto that was, until recently, the only access to Vradheto.
Our six-day trek began in Monodendri where a Guinness Book of World Records sign states that the Vikos Gorge is the deepest gorge in the world at 1,650 metres. Just a few minutes into the descent we came across an uninhabited stone monastery perched on the edge of the cliff, and we mean on the edge!
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