Kipoi / Zagori

kipoi (also Kipi, pronounced KEE-pee) is a lovely village in rural Epirus, a region in northwestern Greece between the Pindus mountain range and the Ionian Sea. Rugged, precipitous, lush, spectacular terrain is all around. Two National Parks in the northwest (namely Vikos-Aoös and Valia Kalda/Pindus), an area that oozes cultural richness, and a few good crags thrown in for good measure make this a definite highlight for climbers and non-climbers alike. Kipoi is part of Zagori or Zagorochόria, a cluster of 46 villages rightly considered a national treasure. Recently nominated as a unesco World Heritage site, most of these villages date back to the 15th century. They are described as “...an exceptionally important testimony to a cultural tradition that is interwoven with the particularity of the mountain landscape”. One of the most distinctive samples of local skill and tradition, the arched bridges of Zagori, are “unique examples of the builder’s art, [which] connect the river beds and link the network of paths and cobbled roads into a whole of singular beauty...The natural elements make up an impressive mosaic of biotopes, which in turn hosts a variety of ecosystems presenting high biodiversity at every level, both horizontal and vertical.” (For more about the unique value of the Zagorochoria villages, see whc.unesco.org). Kipoi village is built at an elevation of 800 meters and its recorded history goes back to 1431. But don’t expect a village of old ruins. As in most other Zagori villages, many centuries-old buildings have been respectfully restored to house pensions, artisanal restaurants and little shops. The sense of uniqueness in the Zagori villages is undeniable, and it extends to the crags of Kipoi in equal measure.