Four Quiet Christmas Villages in the Mountains of Greece

Four quiet Christmas villages in Arcadia, Pelion and Zagori offer stone houses, fir forests and calm festive days far from the crowds.

Greece’s mountains have something for everyone at Christmas. While some travellers want a cosmopolitan escape, others look for quiet Christmas villages with untouched nature and a warm atmosphere.

For them, these quiet Christmas villages promise rest and renewal. Each one also rewards slow walks, whether around a square, through a forest or beside a river.

Four quiet Christmas villages in the mountains

In the south, Alonistaina sits on the slopes of Mainalo in Arcadia. Further north, Kissos looks out to the Aegean from Pelion, while Vovousa and Tsepelovo stand at 1,000 metres or more in Zagori.

Read more: The Metsovo Monastery Where Monks Make Wine Beside a 1782 Barrel

All four quiet Christmas villages combine stone architecture with mountain scenery, and three sit among fir, chestnut or plane trees. With no crowds to dodge, they suit anyone who wants to switch off over the festive season.

Alonistaina on the slopes of Mainalo

Alonistaina is an exceptionally peaceful Arcadian village, ideal for cutting off from everything. It lies 11 kilometres from Vytina, at 1,200 metres beside a small ravine ringed by firs and chestnuts.

Many of its well-built stone houses look like towers, the work of master builders from Lagkadia. A simple stroll is enough to admire them.

On the square, the stone church of Agia Paraskevi dates from 1898, while fresh water runs from a fountain. The square also holds the grave of Zambia Kotsaki, mother of Theodoros Kolokotronis, who came from Alonistaina.

Another fountain with a kiosk stands at the exit towards Tripoli. Classic walks lead to the old inn, the chapel of Agios Nikolaos with its watermill and an abandoned sanatorium on the road to Vytina.

Weather permitting, a forest trail also links the village with Vytina. Because the route is fairly easy, it suits the slow pace of quiet Christmas villages.

Kissos, a lesser-known corner of Pelion

Kissos is one of the less famous villages of Pelion. Although it is fairly small, it is very beautiful, and few quiet Christmas villages greet visitors with such warmth and intimacy.

Its stone houses rise like an amphitheatre from dense greenery, fed by plentiful running water. Views stretch over the surrounding nature to the blue Aegean, where waves form small white crests during winter.

Visitors can climb the steep lanes for the architecture and the views, then head down to the lower neighbourhoods. There, plane, chestnut, beech, linden, apple, cherry and walnut trees line the way.

Above all, Kissos is home to the 17th-century church of Agia Marina. This impressive three-aisled basilica has a unique iconostasis made of linden wood and covered in gold leaf.

Green paths also lead to the chapels of Agia Paraskevi, Agios Efstathios, Profitis Ilias and Agios Konstantinos. On the way out towards Mouresi, a trail reaches the Agios Konstantinos waterfall.

In winter, though, rain damage can make that path impassable, so ask at the village tavernas before setting out.

A 1748 stone bridge over the Aoos

High on the forested slopes of the Pindus in eastern Zagori, Vovousa is one of the area’s most beautiful and peaceful villages. At 1,000 metres, it guarantees cold Christmas days and even colder nights.

Its great attraction is the Aoos river, which splits the village in two. Since 1748, a stone bridge has joined both sides.

Along with the river and the silence, green fir forests all around help visitors relax completely. Vovousa is also one of the gateways to Valia Calda National Park, so it suits nature lovers looking for quiet Christmas villages.

Here, walks follow the river, with only the sound of its water for company. Longer outings reach the La Pountika stone bridge over the Asprorema stream or climb a forest trail to Agia Paraskevi, just outside the village.

Stone mansions beneath Mount Tymfi

Tsepelovo ranks among the most atmospheric and picturesque villages of Zagori. It sits on the southern side of Tymfi, between Kapesovo and Skamneli, at more than 1,000 metres.

For travellers seeking quiet Christmas villages with a real chill, this is the place to book a room. Then put computers and phones aside for a few days.

From the 18th century, Tsepelovo served as the administrative centre of Zagori. It also flourished as a trading hub during the Ottoman era. Its stone mansions still show that wealth, so a walk through its lanes is a must.

Walkers can head to the Konomou stone fountain, north-west of the village, and visit the 18th-century church of Agios Nikolaos on the square. Painters from Kapesovo decorated this three-aisled, domed basilica in 1786.

Weather permitting, short walks also reach chapels in the surrounding nature. Afterwards, guests return to their guesthouse for hot tea with a little brandy.

Finally, the Monastery of Agios Ioannis Rogkovou, founded in the early 11th century, rounds off this tour of quiet Christmas villages. Its present building is later, but it holds frescoes from the 18th century onwards.

Source: travel.gr

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