Paliochori: Mountain Village on Lakmos and Deos Gorge

Paliochori is a mountain village whose location on Lakmos defines its geographical setting. Deos Gorge and a protected mill complex add canyoning and regional folk architecture to this sense of place.

Mountain Village and Place Names

The village is in Epirus, in the Regional Unit of Ioannina and near the border with the Regional Unit of Trikala. At an altitude of 950 metres, it lies on the northern slopes of Lakmos, also known as Peristeri, which is part of the southern Pindus range. Paliochóri Mikrou Peristeriou and Paliochóri Metsovou are also names for the village.

The geographical names refer to different scales: Paliochori is the settlement, Lakmos or Peristeri is the mountain, and the southern Pindus is the wider mountain region. The altitude of 950 metres refers to the village. Its proximity to the Regional Unit of Trikala adds another point of reference to its location in Ioannina.

Goura Gorge and the Deos Route

Goura Gorge, also called Deos, lies at the foot of the Peristeri mountains in Tzoumerka, near the Egnatia motorway and in the area of Mikró Peristéri, in the Municipality of Metsovo. Deos Gorge is located in Paliochori. When finding your bearings, you will therefore encounter several specific references: Paliochori as the settlement, Mikró Peristéri as the area and Metsovo as the municipality.

Goura Gorge is suitable for canyoning. The last three consecutive abseils on the Deos route gave it its name. They are 21, 11 and 23 metres high, in that order. The middle abseil, at 11 metres, is the shortest, while the last, at 23 metres, is the highest. The difference between the shortest and highest abseils is 12 metres; the 21-metre abseil falls between them. If you are planning a canyoning trip, check the current access conditions in advance.

Protected Mill Complex

Paliochóri is home to a complex belonging to the Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God, comprising a watermill, a fulling mill and stamp mills. It is protected as a historic monument and is considered an important example of regional folk architecture. The monastery affiliation and monument status describe different aspects of the complex: its connection to the monastery and its protected cultural-historical designation. The combination of different types of mill is also one of the complex’s specific features.

The term “folk architecture” draws attention to regional building traditions; monument protection specifies the complex’s protected status. Together with its affiliation to the monastery, these details make the mill complex a subject in its own right, alongside the mountain landscape and canyoning route.

Different Focuses for Your Trip

The geographical details help you locate Paliochori in the mountains; the heights of the three abseils offer a direct comparison along the Deos route. The mill complex offers a different perspective, with its protected status, monastery affiliation and regional folk architecture at the forefront. When planning a trip to Paliochori, you can therefore distinguish between landscape, canyoning and protected cultural heritage as different interests.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Fourka, Plikati, Amfithea, Kalarites, Raiko, Drosopigi, Koukouli, Kato Pedina

Go to the main travel overview: Ioannina.