Metsovo

 

Built at an altitude of 1,100 meters, Metsovo remains a vibrant village. With 3,000 residents, developed economy, which relies heavily on tourism, heritage and beautiful nature, a model mountain village. At a time when the villages of Greece deserted one by one, the home of benefactors seems to go against this current.
 Metsovo offers many activities that combine relaxation and fun ...
Some of the activities you can do in Metsovo is hiking, skiing, horse riding, hiking, rafting, mountain biking etc.
 The attractions of the village
Center of the village is the square (the most famous mountain in Greece), which is chock filled weekends of visitors and cars parked next to the statue with the two bears Pindos.

You will also meet the Metsovo women people wandering the streets of the village, wearing traditional costumes, chatting always Vlach, and you will see the mansion Averof that was the ancestral home of vasiloarchontissas Evdokias Stergiou - Tzouanopoulou, character of many folk songs of Metsovo.

In our days works  a museum Continental Folk Art in the Foundation Tositsa and hosts a remarkable collection of folklore material, guns fighters Greek Revolution, important works of art and religious icons invaluable.
 Nearby is the Averof Gallery (Foundation Evangelos Averof-Tositsa) operating since 1988. Housed in a magnificent building with three floors which has been extended and modernized in 1994. Both the building and the collection, which includes about 250 works great Greek painters of the 19th and 20th century., a donation of Evangelos Averof.
 If you go down the alley leading from the square to get to the bottom of Metsovo neighborhood . The tradition says that from here began the occupation of the village and the first nucleus was created 1008 . Neighborhoods are built on points with high gradient. Even lower, near the banks of the river Metsovitikos , are both old and important monasteries . The first is dedicated to the Assumption and the date of its foundation is not known .

In stand -storey monastery cells, hostels , the paved courtyards levels , the wooden steeple , the frescoes of 1754 and the ornate carved iconostasis of the 18th century image of the Virgin Mary dating to 1728 . Said that the bell was manufactured in Ioannina in 1870 . resides in a convent nun who nursed and large fair is held every year on August 15. Just below the monastery , in the bed of the river, there is a restored old watermill of Gina .

The town is famous for its local cheeses (Metsovone and Metsovela) and winemaking industries, including the Katogi vineyard of the Averoff family. 
 




 Most famous of all is the delicious smoked metsovone (prepared from cow's milk 90-100% and 0-10% Goat). Here are the hard Metsovella (80% sheep's milk, 10% and 10% cow's Goat), the cheese (from 100% sheep's milk), the Goat Sevres type (100% Goat milk) and parmesan which Italians consider top (100% cow milk).
 




 Another art made ​​famous Metsovo is woodcarving. Since the days of the Ottoman Metsovites taliadoroi scoured the Balkans with the other guilds of craftsmen adorning their projects homes and churches.

 










 Many good taverns.....
 

 










 A lot of traditional plates.


CHEESE PIE METSOVOU

 
 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
300 gr. slice
350 gr. graviera
250 gr. metsovone smoked cheese
250 gr. Cheddar
200g. mytzithra
200 ml milk
8 eggs
pepper
500 gr. phyllo pastry

 In a pan put a little oil and fry the mushrooms for 4 minutes . Meanwhile grate all the cheese and place in a bowl . Add the beaten eggs and stir well . Grease a baking dish with a little olive put a pastry brush again with oil and repeat the same for other two sheets . Pour one third of the filling cover with two more sheets and add another third of the filling. Apply again two more sheets and spread the mushrooms . Continue with two more sheets and filling and finish with at least three leaves on top. Brush the surface with oil , pierce with a fork and scratch the leaves into pieces . Bake in preheated oven at 200 for 40-45 minutes until golden brown . Remove , let cool slightly and cut .


You can arrive to Metsovo by car (about 5 hours)
or by plain ,the closest airport is Ioanina airport
From Metsovo you can go to many other villages ....
I will write for them soon...