This proud, wild and mountainous area covering the north west of the country can be as awe-inspiring as it is inviting. It is a countryside overwhelming the visitor by the power of nature. Mountains and rivers, like the mountain range of Pindos, or the extraordinary Vikos Gorge, they all contribute to this overpowering sense of being surrounded by nature. Despite its abundant waters, this is a place of rocks and stones producing the best stone masons in Greece. The marble of Ioanina is proverbial for its quality and the Ipirotes developed sophisticated stone bridge building techniques centuries ago. It is also an area of wild nature and human craftsmanship, of rock and hardship. Yet, despite the austerity in the air, it is also an area of vivid contrasts, from the proud inaccessibility of the Pindos range of mountains, down to the warm and hospitable towns of Ioanina and Arta and the beautiful welcoming beaches of Preveza, where, during summer, the sea is welcoming in its voluptuous warmth.

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