ANO PEDINA-ELAFOTOPOS
The life of breeders and the processing of wool!
An easy hiking trail for the whole family, in the footsteps of the travelling breeders.
The route in brief:
Ano Pedina (Zagori Ecomuseum, Evangelistria Monastery) → Elaforotopos (Rokka wool processing unit and agrotourism guesthouse)
The route in detail:
Our hike starts from Ano Pedina, the heart of the Ecomuseum, where we explain our vision of promoting the local community and the traditional practices of the place. After a guided tour of the village, during which we will also see the monastery of Evangelistria with its unique hagiographies depicting ancient Greek philosophers and historians, we will take the pastoral trail to Elafotopos.
We continue on the trail to Elafotopos. We will walk in the footsteps of the transhumance livestock breeders and learn about their age-old habits and the importance of transhumance for the ecosystem and biodiversity of the region. At the same time, we will learn about the culture of nomadic pastoralists, and the inventive ways they found to produce maximum results with minimum resources.
In Elafotopos we will tour the village with its rich history, learning about the pivotal role it played in the economy of Zagori, both in the agricultural sector (livestock, agriculture) and in other professions, with an optional visit to the Museum of Traditional Professions. Elafotopos and Pedina (Ano and Kato) used to be called “Psomochoria” (Bread Villages), as the rare and valuable for the region lowland terrain supplied grain to the whole of central Zagori. Finally, we will make a stop at the wool processing unit of the agrotourism guesthouse Rokka, where we will meet the owner, who will show us the whole process of sheep wool production. At the end, we can drink tsipouro and eat meat and vegetarian dishes exclusively produced locally!
Meeting point: Ano Pedina
Finishing point: Elafotopos
Level: Easy (for the whole family and all levels of experience)
Duration: Half day (2-3 hours)
Included: EcoMuseum escort/ Entrance to the Museum of Traditional Crafts and the guided tour of Rokka / Return transfer from Elafotopos to Ano Pedina
