Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The bridge
The Konitsa bridge, built in the mid-nineteenth century, is the largest single-arch stone bridge in the Balkans: a high, steep, narrow span over the river with a walkway that rises sharply to the crown.
A small bell used to hang beneath it to warn travellers when the wind through the gorge was strong enough to be dangerous on the deck. That detail tells you what the crossing was like.
You can walk over it, and it is the town’s emblem.
The Aoos gorge
From beside the bridge a path runs up the gorge, following the river between very steep walls, and it is one of the best walks in Epirus: a few hours in and out, along the water, with the Stomiou monastery perched high on the cliff at the end of the main stretch.
The monastery is reached by a steep climb off the gorge path and is inhabited by very few monks. The Aoos itself is a serious rafting and kayaking river in spring.
The mountains
Konitsa sits between two of the highest mountains in Greece:
- Smolikas, north, the second highest peak in the country, with the Drakolimni dragon lake below the summit, a small alpine tarn with newts in it that folklore turned into dragons.
- Gamila and the Zagori range south, with its own Drakolimni above Papingo.
Both are serious mountain days.
The town
A mixed town with a visible Ottoman past, including a surviving mosque and houses with the overhanging upper storeys of the region. It is a working border town rather than a resort.
Getting there and how long
About an hour north of Ioannina, on the road to the Albanian crossing.
Two nights, and it pairs directly with Zagori.
Last checked August 2026. Mountain and river conditions are seasonal - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is the Konitsa bridge?
The largest single-arch stone bridge in the Balkans, built in the mid-nineteenth century over the Aoos, with a steep narrow walkway you can cross on foot.
Why was there a bell under the bridge?
To warn travellers when the wind coming through the gorge was strong enough to be dangerous on the span.
What is the Aoos gorge walk?
A path from beside the bridge running up the gorge along the river, a few hours in and out, with the cliff-set Stomiou monastery at the end of the main stretch.
What is Drakolimni?
A small alpine lake below the summit of Smolikas, whose alpine newts gave rise to the local dragon legend. There is a second one above Papingo in Zagori.
How far is Konitsa from Ioannina?
About an hour north by road.