Central among all the villages of Mount Tzoumerka in Ioannina and Arta and after following a serpentine road full of surprises – such as the cows that followed us all the way up – the eagles whose wings cut through the sky, the impressive view of the mountains and so many others, one finds the village of Pramanta, seat of the northern Tzoumerka municipality. Built as an amphitheater on the slopes of Mount Strogoula, it welcomes the visitors who come to the main square where the impressive church of Aghia Paraskevi and the hundred-year-old plane tree stand, as well as the well-known “Arapis” fountain.
The village has hotels, taverns, cafes, pastry shops. When we arrived we were hungry after riding all the way up with numerous stops at bridges, monasteries, and steep cliffs with views. The chef recommended goat soup and it was really good. People came and went in the square and in the narrow streets as it is lively both in winter and summer. All the children in the area go to school in Pramanta, that’s why there are schools for all ages.
*You can visit the environmental education center and have a very pleasant experience.
*If you want to refuel the car, this is the right place, because you won’t find a gas station for a long time.
*There is both a bank and an ATM for all necessary transactions.
*Both post office and police station are available.
*If the need arises, there is a health center and pharmacy.
*Don’t forget to go to Anemotrypa cave, which is considered the whitest cave in Greece because of the clean limestone inside. The temperature inside it is constant at 19oC and the water 10oC. There is a 250m long path inside that leads to an area of stalagmites, stalactites, small lakes and a 2m high waterfall.
*Do not leave without visiting the monastery of Agia Paraskevi anno 1878. During the period 1908-1912 it was the seat of the chief Ioannis Poutetsis, later the monastery served as a hospital and operation center for the resistance groups during the German occupation. According to tradition, Theodora Petraleifa (13th century), later Saint Theodora, lived in exile here.
*A visit to the Markopoulos forest and the Skala spring is a unique experience.
*Climb up to the mountain shelters “Isioma” and Melissourgous and admire the largest waterfall in Greece, “Kefalovrisos” whose water falls from a height of 350 meters.
