Discover Samarina

Samarina offers several distinct reasons to stay: historic churches, traditional crafts, annual festivals and a hiking route with an older rating. If you are looking for a hotel, you can first decide whether your trip will be shaped mainly by culture, a specific festival date or hiking.

Churches and traces of time

Notable churches in Samarina include Mikri Panagia, Megali Panagia and Agia Paraskevi. A large pine tree has been growing in the apse of Megali Panagia since around 1850. The church’s wall paintings were completed in 1829 by painters Christos and Antonios Papaioannou from Samarina. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour contains wall paintings from 1819, created by Dimitrios and Michail Anagnostou from Samarina and by Priest Ioannis Anagnostou. This gives three distinct dates: 1819 for the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, 1829 for Megali Panagia and around 1850 as the beginning of the pine’s growth.

Do not confuse the Church of Agia Paraskevi in Samarina with the Monastery of Agia Paraskevi, which lies in the forest near the old village, four kilometres south of present-day Samarina, and is dated to 1713.

Festivals on different dates

The Tranos Choros, also called Tsiatsios, is performed every year on 16 August in the courtyard of Megali Panagia. The Samarina livestock festival is also held annually, in early September at Chelimodi near the chapel of Agios Mamas; the site is about ten kilometres from the village. For travel planning, the difference is clear: a fixed date in mid-August in the church courtyard, and a date window at the beginning of September at Chelimodi. If one of the festivals is the deciding factor for your trip, check that year’s arrangements in advance.

Museum, wool crafts and village fountains

The Archaeological-Folklore Museum is in the centre of Samarina; its collection includes traditional costumes and old tools used by local people. The Mandani is a traditional wooden device for agitating and washing woollen fabrics, and one is on display in Samarina. The traditional Dristelles, or water-powered fulling mills, are also among the sights. The distinction is useful: the Mandani is used to agitate and wash woollen fabrics, while the Dristelles are water-powered fulling mills.

The stone village fountains are also part of the built landscape. They include, among others, Megali Panagia, Mikri Panagia, Gavani, Papazisis and Papakyrgia. The names Megali Panagia and Mikri Panagia refer to both churches and fountains; the context helps distinguish between the two types of place. The cultural points of interest thus range from wall paintings and costumes to wool-working equipment and stone fountains.

Hiking trail and regional orientation

A 2017 hiking guide rated the Samarina–Valia Kirna–Distrato route as moderate and poorly marked, and recommended hiking from May to October. The rating answers two different questions: it gives a difficulty level and also notes the trail marking. Since the guide dates from 2017, check current trail conditions before setting out.

In the wider region, the picturesque village of Spilaio lies at 1,000 m on Mount Orliakas. From there, the Portitsa Bridge and Liatissa Bridge are presented as two possible destinations to choose from. Alongside Samarina’s churches, festivals and traditions, this offers a separate regional choice between two bridge destinations.

Discover more destinations: Filippaioi, Smixi, Zákas, Perivoli, Aetia, Aidonia, Dotsiko, Itea

For the broader travel overview: Grevena.