Stone Bridges of Zagori

Zagori's bridges were built mostly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by itinerant masons from Konitsa and Pyrsogianni, funded by wealthy villagers or emigrant merchants whose names the bridges still carry. They were the infrastructure of a region without roads, carrying mule trains between forty-six villages across gorges and torrents. Around Kipoi the finest cluster within a short drive: the three-arched Plakidas or Kalogeriko bridge stepping across the stream in a curve, the tall single arch of Kokkorou, the Milos bridge beside an old watermill, and Lazaridis nearby. Each is dry-stone, mortared with lime, and shaped so precisely that many have survived floods that destroyed modern concrete. Paths link several of them, and swimming pools lie beneath some in summer.

What you actually see

• Kalogeriko - the three-arched bridge curving across the stream near Kipoi.
• Kokkorou bridge - a tall single arch over the Bagiotiko.
• The Milos bridge - an arch beside a restored watermill.
• The connecting paths - short trails linking bridges through the woods.

When to go

Spring for full streams and green, autumn for colour. Summer allows swimming in the pools beneath the arches. Winter floods can make some approaches muddy.

Honest expectations

The bridges are scattered and need a car plus short walks; signposting is decent but not comprehensive. Each visit is brief, so the pleasure is in linking several. Parking near Kalogeriko is limited on busy weekends.

Nearby

Kipoi and Koukouli villages are alongside; Monodendri and the Vikos gorge lie west.