Karpenisi

Karpenisi sits at about 960 metres in a bowl beneath Mount Tymfristos, and it functions as the gateway to Evrytania, the most thickly forested and least populated part of central Greece. The town itself is modest and largely modern, rebuilt after wartime destruction, but it is surrounded by the reason people come: the fir slopes of Velouchi with a small ski centre, the stone villages of Koryschades, Mikro and Megalo Chorio, the Karpenisiotis valley with its bridges and monasteries, and the Krikelopotamos and Tavropos rivers used for rafting and kayaking. Distances are short but roads are winding, so the valley takes days rather than hours. Local produce, honey, cheese, chestnuts, mountain tea, fills the town's shops.

History

The name comes from the Aromanian kárpinu, "hornbeam", and first appears in an Ottoman tax register of 1454-1455; in antiquity the place was known as Oechalia, ruled by King Evrytos, inventor of the bow. During the Greek Revolution of 1821 its mountain position made it strategically important for central Roumeli (Wikipedia, Karpenisi).

What to look for

• The Karpenisiotis valley - stone villages, bridges and fir slopes south of town.
• Velouchi - the ski centre and summit road above Karpenisi.
• Koryschades - a restored stone village with a folk museum.
• The rivers - rafting and kayaking on the Tavropos and Krikelopotamos.

When to go

Winter for snow and the fireside season, when the town is busiest; May to October for walking, rafting and the gorges. Autumn colour in the fir and beech woods is exceptional.

Before you go

The town centre is unremarkable and the appeal lies entirely in the surrounding valley, which needs a car. Mountain roads are slow and can be icy in winter. Weekend accommodation prices in season are high for what is offered.

Nearby

Proussos monastery and the Panta Vrechei gorge lie south; Lake Kremasta is west.

Key facts