epirus net

Delvinaki is at a distance of 70 km. from the city of Ioannina. It is the seat of the municipality of Delvianki and has about 2.900 habitants. They are at their majority farmers and shepherds because the region is mostly rural. Delvinaki is built into a forested area, among oak trees, chestnut trees, arbutus trees, plane trees, etc.

Delvinaki was a commercial and cultural centre because of its location but also of the emigration of its habitants who succeded professionally at abroad and cared for thei hometown, as it happened to many other places of Epirus. Gradually the alive region of Delvinaki was desolated by numbers of emigrants who abandoned the region during the decades of 1920 and 1930, but also during the decade of 1950 and after.

Nowadays Delvinaki is a picturesque village that has preserved its natural beauty. Every year more and more visitors discover the beauty of its natural landascape and the hospitality of the habitants of Pogoni but also a region that has remained unchanged by the tourists and is offered for unique moments and trips.

A unique musical phenomenon for the region of Pogoni, but also for Greece generally, is the tradition of the polyphonic song, which according the musicians its roots are very old. The habitants of Delvinaki love the polyphonic song, have choirs and every year organise events for the polyphonic music with large audience and participatios. On the first days of August is organised at the municipality of Delvinaki the International Festival of Polyphonic Song.

Delvinaki has a librabry – gallery and many significant churches that you can visit. The nearby valley of Gormos river is offered for beautiful walks.

For your stay at Delvinaki, there are many traditional guesthouses and rental rooms, but also many restaurants and taverns, where you can taste traditional dishes of Epirus.

Kefalovryso is a village of the region of Pogoni, built at an altitude of 650 metres. It is the seat of the Municipality of Ano Pogoni. It is also an important financial centre for the region of Pogoni because there is one factory of the 5 factories of the Greek Industry of Arms.

Other villages of the region:

The village of Vissani in Pogoni is built at an altitude of 750 metres and is at a distance of 8 k. from Delvinaki. The village was founded during the 14th century, developed a lot and during the Ottoman period it was the cultural centre of the region of Pogoni.

In Vissani there was a school before 1770 and here learnt how to read first Ali Passia. About the name origins there are many different aspects. The main one is that it comes from the word “Vissa” which means “pots of many successive trees”, something that is obvious due to the location of the village.

Vissani was very developed, which is obvious due to the beautiful stone-built houses, the girls’ school, the greek school and the big church of St. Nicolas of the 18th century. Near Vissani there is also the famous Monastery of Avel.

In Kato Meropi there is a folk art collection at the old primary school and at the location of Glava there were found prehistorical squared tombs. The nearby Monastery of St. Ioannins the Baptist (1614), the church of St. Athanasios (1585) and the church of the Dormition of Virgin Mary (1413) have been characterised as hitorical preserved monuments. [Please see also: Churches in Kato Meropi.]

In the village of Palaiopyrgos in Pogoni there were found at the location of Paliouria archaelogical founds from the prehistorical era. Near the village, there is also the stone bridge Gkretsi in the narrow gorge of Gormos and a traditional watermill, which has been characterised as a preserved monument.

Pogoniani is located at the northwest part of the region of Pogoni at an altitude of 750 metres, near Delvinaki. During the Ottoman period it was the adminitrative centre of the part of Avlona of the Ottoman Empire and and the seat of the bishopric till 1863.

Pogoniani was an important commercial centre during the past years which is obvious to the old buildings and to the centre of the community that once it was an impotant trading centre of more than 60 shops. ΣIn Pogoniani nowadays there are boarding schools and educational institutions for the homogeneous people of North Epirus that they were built by donations.

In Pogoniani worths visiting:

• The interesting Folk Art Museum of Pogoni – Deropoli
• The church of big dimensions of St. Nicolas (1873) with its exceptional wooden iconostasis
• The thick forests of the area around, which attract many hunters but also many lovers of nature.

Other villages in the region:

Dolo is a traditional village of Pogoni. Nearby the viilage there is the famous gorge of Kouvaras, into which runs the homonymous river. You can cross it by following the marked path.

At the beggining of the gorge, at the location of Ksylogefiro, there is a watermill and a small stone-built bridge, known as the “bridge of Nonoulo”.

Significant is also the church of St. Nicolas that is located at the village. It has a big hall and incorporated belltower of two zones at its south side. The older wall paintings of the church are creations of the painter Kouros from Dolo.

Kakkolakos village is located at the foothill of the mountain of Nemertsika at the north part of the region of Pogoni. It was the capital city of Pogoni during the Ottoman period.

Here it was also the administrative centre of Markos Botsaris from Souli from 1814 to 1820. The family of Botsaris funded the construction of the wooden iconostasis of the church of St. Dimitrios.

In the region Vourgareli (Drosopigi) there are many significant villages that have very important sights of all kinds for the visitors. The region is located at the north part of prefecture of Arta and has some of the best forests in the prefecture.

See in the wider area:

• In Athamanio: Watermill in Ano Athamanio, watermill in Kato Athamanio, Bridges (of Megali Vrysi, Tsagaraki, Mega Lagkadi and Plateia). Athamanio is the biggest village of Tzoumerka and is constantly developed.
• In Kypseli (Ramia): Traditional buildings, folk art museum, Monastery of Evagelistria with rare wall paintings.
• In Tetrakomo: Forests of fir trees
• In Mesounta: Traditional stone arch, restaurants and cafes into an endless forest of fir trees.
• In Distrato: Folk art museum, monument of the national resistance from the era of Second World War at the location of Trapezaki, old listed buildings.
• In Rodavgi: Church of St. Paraskevi