# Metsovo: A Stone Town in the Pindus, Made for Winter

> A winter guide to Metsovo: stone lanes under snow, three ski areas close by, a mountain winery, smoked metsovone and a fire in every hearth.

- **Section:** Travel Guides
- **Country:** Greece
- **Published:** 2026-10-16
- **Author:** Voyage Editors
- **Publisher:** Voyage (https://thevoyage.gr)
- **Type:** practical travel guide, our own editorial writing
- **URL:** https://thevoyage.gr/en/destinations/metsovo

In winter Metsovo smells of woodsmoke and pine. The town climbs the side of the Pindus in tiers of grey stone and slate roofs, its lanes running down to a square shaded by plane trees, and when snow settles on the roofs the whole place seems built for exactly this season: thick walls, deep hearths, cheese hung to smoke, red wine aged in cellars under the houses.

It is a town of the Vlachs, the Aromanian-speaking people of the mountains, and the birthplace of the benefactor families Tositsas and Averoff, whose gifts still shape what you will do here: look at Greek painting in a mountain gallery, tour a winery that planted vines on the slopes of the Pindus, buy smoked cheese from a foundation dairy. Add three ski areas within a short drive and a fast motorway from Ioannina, and Metsovo becomes one of the easiest winter weekends in mainland Greece.

## The Areas

Metsovo is compact, and most visitors stay in or just around the town itself. The choice is really between being in the lanes, on the slopes above them, or out near the motorway and the ski slopes.

- The centre and the square — the plane trees, the shops selling cheese and woodwork, the grill houses and the museums are all a few minutes apart on foot. Best if you want to park the car and walk everywhere.
- The upper and lower lanes — houses and guesthouses on the hillside above and below the square, with views across the valley; expect steep, sometimes icy steps in winter, and the reward of a quiet evening by the fire.
- Anthochori — a small village within walking distance southwest of Metsovo, where the Rona stream once drove a water-powered mill for washing woollen blankets; quieter still, for walkers.
- Towards Anilio — on the mountain near the Anilio exit of the Egnatia motorway, closest to the newest ski area; suits skiers who want to be on the slopes first thing.

## What to See and Do

Start with the E. Averoff Gallery, opened in 1988 and expanded with a new wing in 1994, built around the collection that Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas, the Metsovo-born politician and writer, gave to his town: Greek painters, sculptors and printmakers of the 19th and 20th centuries, some two hundred works and more. It is open 10:00–16:00 and closed on Tuesdays, with guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays at 13:00.

The Metsovo Folk Art Museum fills the Tossizza family mansion, a house first built in 1661 and opened as a museum in 1955 by the Baron Michael Tossizza Foundation. Visits are guided, starting every half hour, through rooms of carved wooden furniture, woven and embroidered textiles, gold-embroidered costumes and silverwork; it is open daily 10:00–16:00 except Thursdays. It is the best introduction to the crafts the town still lives by.

Then the winery. Katogi Averoff grew from the vines Evangelos Averoff planted on the slopes of the Pindus in the late 1950s, Cabernet Sauvignon among the first foreign varieties grown in Greece, with the first wine bottled in the basement of his house. Today the winery has more than 1,200 oak barrels in its cellars; the guided tour takes about 30 minutes, daily 10:00–16:00 with the last tour at 15:00, and tastings need booking at least a day ahead.

Beyond the town, Anthochori has a small museum of restored water-powered mechanisms, and Lake Aoos, an artificial lake at about 1,350 metres between the Valia Calda and Vikos-Aoos national parks, makes a fine drive on a clear winter day.

## Winter on the Mountain

Metsovo has three ski areas, all within a short drive, and they suit different skiers. Anilio, which opened in 2012, is the newest and the largest: its top reaches 1,850 metres, its main lift is the 800-metre Alexandros six-seat chairlift, and there are runs graded from green to red, a snowboard track and two baby lifts for children and beginners. It lies a short drive from Metsovo, about 17 minutes by car, and is reached from the Egnatia motorway; the access road is kept clear around the clock. Ski and snowboard rental is available, with indicative prices from about €12 for a ski set.

Profitis Ilias, on the Politsies plateau about 5 km from town, is gentler: roughly 3.9 km of runs between 1,360 and 1,560 metres, mostly easy, with three lifts, a rental shop and chalets. Its season generally runs from mid-December to late March, with lifts turning from about 09:45 to 15:45. Closest of all is Karakoli, about 2 km from Metsovo, with one lift and two slopes, good for an hour on skis between lunch and the museum.

If you do not ski, winter is still the season here. Walk the snowy lanes in the morning, spend the middle of the day in the gallery or the wine cellars, and go back out for the blue hour, when the lights come on across the slate roofs. Conditions on the mountain change by the day, so check that your ski area is open before you set out.

## What to Eat and Drink

Metsovo cooks for the cold: spit-roasted meats, kokoretsi, sausages and pies are the town's classics, served in grill houses and tavernas around the square.

The cheese is the thing to bring home. Metsovone, a protected designation of origin since 1996, is a semi-hard cheese made mostly from cow's milk with some sheep's or goat's milk; it matures for at least three months and is then smoked for a day or two over local grasses, leaves and herbs. The Tositsa Foundation dairy has made it in Metsovo since 1955, along with metsovella, a sheep's-milk graviera and a peppered white cheese. Its shop at the dairy opens only on Fridays, 12:00–14:00, but its cheeses are sold in shops on the square.

To drink, the Katogi Averoff wines: the Katogi red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Agiorgitiko, and a Traminer grown at the Gniets vineyards, described by the winery as the most mountainous in Greece. A slice of grilled metsovone with a glass of the red is as good a winter lunch as the town offers.

## Getting There and Around

The nearest airport is Ioannina, served by scheduled flights from Athens and about 4 km from the city centre. From Ioannina, Metsovo is roughly 50 km east along the Egnatia motorway, which has two exits for the town; Thessaloniki is about 215 km away and Athens a little over 400 km.

By bus, KTEL coaches connect Ioannina with Metsovo, and Metsovo with Kalambaka; from Athens or Thessaloniki the usual way is a coach to Ioannina, then the local bus. In town you walk. A car is useful for the ski areas and Lake Aoos, and in winter it should carry snow chains.

The old national road over the Katara pass, at about 1,705 metres one of the highest road passes in Greece, sees far less traffic since the motorway opened through tunnels further south. In winter the motorway is the sensible choice; leave the old road for a clear day and only if it is reported open.

## When to Go

For snow, come between mid-December and March, the usual ski season. Winter is also when Metsovo is at its busiest, so plan holiday weekends well ahead; spring and autumn suit walkers and the drive to Lake Aoos.

## Good to Know

Winter is the town's high season, so book rooms early for holidays and weekends, and reserve a winery tasting the day before. Lanes are steep and can be icy: bring boots with grip. Mind the closing days: the gallery shuts on Tuesdays, the folk museum on Thursdays. Snow can close ski areas or slow roads at short notice, so check before driving up.

## Our Picks

- To see · E. Averoff Gallery — Metsovo — Greek painting of the 19th and 20th centuries in a mountain town; closed on Tuesdays, guided tours Friday and Saturday at 13:00.
- To see · Metsovo Folk Art Museum — Tossizza Mansion, Metsovo — A 1661 family house with its carved furniture, textiles and costumes; guided visits every half hour, closed on Thursdays.
- To drink · Katogi Averoff Winery — Metsovo — Cellars of more than 1,200 oak barrels and the story of Greece's first Cabernet Sauvignon; book tastings a day ahead.
- To eat · Tositsa Foundation Dairy — Metsovo — The home of metsovone since 1955; the dairy shop opens on Fridays 12:00–14:00, or buy its cheeses on the square.
- To ski · Anilio — off the Egnatia motorway — The largest area near town, up to 1,850 metres, with a six-seat chairlift and runs from green to red.
- To ski · Profitis Ilias — Politsies plateau — Mostly easy runs a few minutes from town, with a rental shop and chalets; good for families and first-timers.
- To see · Hydrokinetics Museum — Anthochori — Restored water-powered mechanisms, including the wooden pounders once used to wash woollen blankets.
- To walk · Lake Aoos — near Metsovo — An artificial lake at about 1,350 metres between two national parks, best on a clear, still day.

## Where to Stay

- Grand Forest Metsovo — near Anilio — Perched on a secluded mountaintop in the Pindus, with 62 suites spread across eight staggered stone buildings with grey stone roofs and exposed timber beams. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/GFOREST)
- Aroma Dryos Spa & Eco Hotel — Metsovo centre — Sixteen rooms and suites on the hillside of the village, with views of the mountains. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/AROMAMETS)
- Dandy Villas Metsovo Metska — Metsovo — A two-storey traditional house for up to seven people, with a fireplace and a library, three minutes from the centre of Metsovo. [Book](https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/DANDYMETSO)

## The Essence

Metsovo is a mountain town that learned to make its own good things: wine from vines planted where nobody expected them, cheese smoked over Pindus herbs, furniture carved and blankets woven for long winters, and a gallery of Greek painting that a son of the town gave back to it. Come when there is snow on the slate roofs, ski in the morning, walk the lanes in the afternoon, and finish by a fire with a glass of Katogi and a slice of metsovone. It is winter as the mountain intended.

## Hotels in this guide

- Grand Forest Metsovo, Metsovo (5★): https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/GFOREST
- Aroma Dryos Spa & Eco Hotel, Metsovo (3★): https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/AROMAMETS
- Dandy Villas Metsovo Metska, Metsovo: https://trvl.gr/en/stay-wh/DANDYMETSO

## Sources

- Metsovo is a Vlach village below the Katara pass in the Pindus; birthplace of benefactors Tositsas, Stournaras, Averoff; plane-shaded square; specialities spit-roasted meats, kokoretsi, sausages, pies; Metsovone and Metsovela; KTEL buses to Ioannina, Kalabaka; from Athens/Thessaloniki bus to Ioannina then local bus: https://www.visitgreece.gr/mainland/epirus/metsovo/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece; motorway junction with two exits at Metsovo; ski centre near the town centre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metsovo (checked 2026-10-16)
- E. Averoff Gallery inaugurated 1988, new wing 1994; founder Evangelos Averof-Tositsas (1910–1990) donated building and works; 19th–20th c. Greek painters, about 200 works; 10:00–16:00, closed Tuesdays: https://www.greekgastronomyguide.gr/en/item/pinakothiki-e-averof-metsovo/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Averoff gallery ~250 works, guided tours Fri and Sat 13:00; Katogi Averoff winery open daily 10:00–16:00, last tour 15:00, 30-minute tour, book tastings a day ahead, over 1,200 oak barrels: https://katogiaveroff.gr/en/episkefteite-mas (checked 2026-10-16)
- Metsovo Folk Art Museum: Tossizza manor house built 1661, operating since 1955 by the Baron Michael Tossizza Foundation, daily 10:00–16:00 except Thursday, guided visits every half hour: https://metsovomuseum.gr/en/the-museum/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Folk museum collections: carved furniture, woven/embroidered textiles, gold-embroidered costumes, silverwork; Averoff founded weavers workshop: https://www.greekgastronomyguide.gr/en/item/laografiko-mouseio-metsovou-ipiros/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Katogi founded 1989; Averoff planted first vines late 1950s; Cabernet Sauvignon first foreign variety in Greece; first wine bottled in basement of his house; Katogi red = Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Agiorgitiko; Traminer at Gniets, most mountainous vineyards in Greece: https://www.greekgastronomyguide.gr/en/item/oinopoieio-katogi-averof-metsovo/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Tositsa Foundation dairy since 1955; metsovone ~90% cow milk; matured at least three months; smoked 1–2 days over local grasses, leaves, herbs; metsovella, sheep graviera, pepper cheese; dairy shop Fridays 12:00–14:00; cheeses in shops on the square: https://www.greekgastronomyguide.gr/en/item/tyrokomeio-idrymatos-tositsa-metsovo/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Metsovone PDO since 1996; cow milk or cow with sheep/goat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metsovone (checked 2026-10-16)
- Anthochori within walking distance SW, Rona stream and water-powered washing mechanism (nerotrivi); Hydrokinetics Museum; Lake Aoos ~1,350 m between Valia Calda and Vikos-Aoos national parks: https://www.aromadryos.gr/en/metsovo/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Anilio opened 2012, ~12 km, Egnatia access; Profitis Ilias on Politsies plateau ~5 km, rental shop, two chalets; Karakoli ~2 km, one lift, two slopes (Tourist Promotion of Epirus): https://epirusforallseasons.gr/en/experiences/adventure/empeiries/ski/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Anilio: top 1,850 m; L1 Alexandros six-seat 800 m; baby lifts; Egnatia access; ~49 km from Ioannina, 213 km Thessaloniki, 454 km Athens (page updated 2026): https://xionodromika.gr/en/ski-centers/anilio-metsovo-ski-center/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Anilio 6 km from Metsovo, 50 km Ioannina, 215 km Thessaloniki, 414 km Athens; red/blue/green runs, snowboard track; road kept clear 24h by snowploughs; rental ski set €12: https://www.adonismetsovo.gr/en/Anilio-Ski-Center/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Profitis Ilias: 1,360–1,560 m, 3.9 km runs mostly easy, 3 lifts, season mid-December to late March, 09:45–15:45: https://www.skiresort.com/en/ski-resort/provitis-ilias-metsovo/ (checked 2026-10-16)
- Katara pass ~1,705 m, one of the highest in Greece, carries national road 6; Egnatia (A2) through tunnels further south reduced traffic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_Pass (checked 2026-10-16)
- Ioannina airport King Pyrrhus, ~4 km from centre, Aegean flights to Athens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina_National_Airport (checked 2026-10-16)
- Metsovo 52 km from Ioannina, altitude 1,100–1,300 m, tourist resort mainly in winter months (hotel description): https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/DANDYMETS2 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Grand Forest Metsovo official description: secluded mountaintop in Pindus, 62 suites in eight staggered stone buildings, grey stone roof tiles, exposed timber beams; address Interchange 7A to Anilio, Egnatia: https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/GFOREST (checked 2026-10-16)
- Aroma Dryos official description: 16 rooms and suites, hillside of the village, mountain views, centre of village: https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/AROMAMETS (checked 2026-10-16)
- Dandy Villas Metska official description: two-storey traditional house, up to 7 people, fireplace, library, 3 minutes from centre: https://trvl.gr/api/hotels/DANDYMETSO (checked 2026-10-16)

## Photo credits

- Metsovo on its mountainside, seen from above: photo by Dimitris Kiriakakis (Unsplash, Unsplash License)
- A stone church among tall trees in Metsovo's park: photo by Constantinos Kollias (Unsplash, Unsplash License)
- Stone houses and the valley below Metsovo: photo by Dimitris Kiriakakis (Unsplash, Unsplash License)
- A lone tree on a snowy slope at Metsovo: photo by Marios Gkortsilas (Unsplash, Unsplash License)