The Zagori region in north-west Greece is little known but offers superb hiking trails, great local food and elegant stone mansions in a perfect setting. It boasts an extensive network of well-marked paths and ancient mule tracks, tumbling streams and dramatic gorges. The undoubted highlight of the region is the 12km-long, 900m-deep Vikos Gorge, the deepest canyon in the world in relation to its width. The scenery here is simply breathtaking, with dramatic cliffs, emerald-green rivers, and natural rock pools. Recently part of UNESCO heritage sites, Zagori also holds the Pindos National Park and the Vikos-Aoos Geopark. The heavily forested mountains of Zagori are dotted with tiny traditional stone villages, known as the Zagorohoria, each with its own character.

They were mostly built by wealthy merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries but completely abandoned after WWII, the area has been forgotten until very recently. Families are returning to their ancestral homes and restoring them with love and care. The result is that the villages have not been marred by the “progress” and construction that has ruined so much of our collective heritage in the last 70 years. Zagori is truly a wonderful and unknown part of Europe.