Metsobo is a mountainous town located in the Ioannina region at an altitude of 1,150 meters. It is a traditional settlement situated at the eastern edge of the region, near the border with the Trikala region, on the northern slopes, nestled among the mountains of Greece's largest mountain range, the Pindus.
Its residents, according to the 2001 census, number around 3,195 people and are primarily of Vlach origin, engaging less in agriculture and more in animal husbandry.
Metsobo is home to several preserved landmarks, including the Monastery of Theotokos near the Metsobitiko River, the Monastery of Saint Nicholas south of the town, and the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi in the Kiatra Rossia location (which translates to "red rock" or "cliff" in Vlach).
Built amphitheatrically within a forested embrace beneath the neck of Katara, a rugged stone massif in the Pindus, Metsobo steadfastly maintains its traditional character."
An exemplary mountain village, bustling with life throughout the seasons, generously offers its visitors so many beauties that are hard to come by in similar destinations.
Especially during the winter period, the renowned Vlach village, birthplace of great national benefactors (Tositsas, Stournaras, Averoff, etc.), constitutes a constant value on the tourist map of Epirus.
The heart of the village is the central square, one of the most famous in mountainous Greece. We ascend towards Agia Paraskevi (15th century), the metropolitan church of the village, with its elaborate wooden iconostasis and invaluable sacred relics.
On the benches around the courtyard with the towering plane trees, we see a characteristic Metsovite scene: the elders with their bushy mustaches, wearing traditional costumes and wooden flasks, conversing in Vlach, enjoying the first light of day.
A few meters further up, the mansion of Michael Tositsas houses the Museum of Folk Epirotic Art, along with the entire ethnographic history of 18th-century Metsovo.
At a short distance, we encounter the Evangelos Averoff Art Gallery, where paintings and sculptures of great Greek artists are exhibited.
For a short break with a view, we can choose the Hill of Recreation, where in 1668 the Castle was built, which was destroyed in 1854 along with the entire village.
The Averof Garden, a 10-acre green oasis planted with all the endemic species of trees in the Pindus mountains, will offer us beautiful views and mountain air, relaxing on the bench behind the church of Saint George.
Following the stone-paved paths towards the lower Mahala, the first residential nucleus of 1008, we will also visit two important monasteries, founded near the banks of the Metsovitikos River: the Monastery of Panagia with the renovated Gkina watermill and the Monastery of Saint Nicholas with its 17th-century wall paintings."
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