Evrytania has lots of beauties. Its scenery consists of hillsides full of pine trees, flowing rivers, winding roads and picturesque villages. The combination of the evergreen forests with the crystal clear waters of the rivers can charm all visitors.
It is said that the ancient tribes that used to live there were great archers like the legendary Evrytos, king of the area. According to mythology he was the mentor of Hercules and is said to have fought against the god Apollo. So, maybe, the name “Evrytania” derives from the verb “evryo” (=stretch a bowstring) or from the combination “ev+reo”, which in Greek means water flowing with ease.
In 279 B.C the locals defeated the Gauls outside Krikelo and managed to protect Greece from their barbaric invasion. During the Turkish Occupation, the inaccessible mountains in Agrafa became the shelter of lots of Greeks, whose stories were made known through the folk songs. These places also offered protection to the Greek soldiers and civilians that fought the Germans in the World War II.
Capital and only town of the prefecture is Karpenisi. Hidden in the hillsides of mount Tymfristos, Karpenisi brims with people and life all year round. The rest of the residents live in the picturesque villages of the area such as Mikro and Megalo Chorio, Krikelo, Fidakia, Prouso and many more.
From the warmth and comfort of the luxurious hostels you can find yourselves in places that seem to be untouched. You can, discover the glory of the nature and the warm hearts of people, who live in unknown, half abandoned villages. You can observe the alteration of images within a few kilometers, the image of an old woman wearing traditional clothes and feeding her animals in the sheep farm outside Stenoma is only 20 minutes away from luxurious hotels and spas.
No matter how many times you’ll visit Evrytania, there will be always something new to discover. You can always take a long walk through the beautiful villages in the hillsides of Kaliakouda and Chelidona, hike, bike through the routes among the fir mountains or cross the famous canyons.