The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; el, Πίνδος, Píndos; sq, Pindet; rup, Pindu) is a mountain range located in
Northern Greece and
Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metres (8652') (
Mount Smolikas). Because it runs along the border of
Thessaly and
Epirus, the Pindus range is known colloquially as the ''spine of Greece''. The mountain range stretches from near the Greek-Albanian border in southern Albania, entering the
Epirus and
Macedonia regions in northern Greece down to the north of the
Peloponnese.
Geologically it is an extension of the
Dinaric Alps, which dominate the western region of the
Balkan Peninsula.
History of the name
Historically, the name Pindos refers to the mountainous territory that separates the greater Epirus region from the regions of Macedonia and Thessaly.
According to
John Tzetzes (a 12th-century Byzantine writer), the Pindos range was then called Metzovon.
When translated (between 1682/83 and 1689) to a more conversational (colloquial) language the initial praise to St. Vissarion, which was drafted in 1552 by , he wrote: “A mountain called by the Greeks Pindos is the same mountain which is called Metzovon in Barbarian” and further down the same text he adds “this mountain, Metzovon, separates the
Ioannina region from the
Thessaloniki region.”
By the eighteenth century, there had been identification of the name Metsovo with the Pindos mountain range (in a French encyclopedia of 1756). BY 1825, the traveller
John Cam Hobhouse was writing that "…the latter mountains, now known by the name of Metzovo, can be no other than Pindus itself…" while a patriarchal document of 1818 states: "Because the high mountain of Pindos in Epirus, that is commonly called Messovon...". The word Pindos was used more in literary sources, while the folk name for the mountain range from the Middle Ages up to the 19th century was either "Metsovo" or "the mountains of Metsovo". Most probably this name was not meant to indicate the whole range as it is meant today, but only its central part between the area of
Aspropotamos and the springs of the
Aoös
The Vjosa (; indefinite form: ) or Aoös ( el, Αώος) is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining in Albania. Its drainage basin is and its ave ...
River. This part coincides with the mountainous region which the ancient Greeks used to call Pindos.
Major mountains
The most notable mountains in the range are
Mount Grammos,
Mount Smolikas,
Mount Vasilitsa
Vasilitsa is a ski resort in Greece. The ski center is located in the middle of Pindos (40.033N, 21.083E), approximately 42km away from Grevena and 417km from Athens. The ski resorts currently has five lifts and 16 ski trails. The summit of the ...
,
Tymfi or Gamila,
Lakmos or Peristeri, the
Athamanika or Tzoumerka mountains, and the
Agrafa mountains. Some mountains in Southern Greece are also considered part of the extended Pindus range. Its highest peak is on Mount Smolikas at an altitude of 2,637 meters.
Population
There are many villages in the Pindus, one of them being
Samarina, which boasts one of the highest elevations in Greece. The area had a traditional pastoral economy in which sheep were raised by shepherds who were ethnically
Sarakatsani and
Aromanian. Many of the villages such as
Perivoli and
Smixi include communities of Aromanians (
Vlachs), originally shepherds and farmers. In the last decades, a number of villages, such as
Metsovo
Metsovo ( el, Μέτσοβο; rup, Aminciu) is a town in Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east.
The largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large re ...
, developed into tourist resorts with ski facilities.
Transportation
The
Egnatia Odos highway serves the region and connects it with the rest of Greece.
Sightseeing
Besides the imposing mountainous terrain of the range, two significant gorges in Europe are located in the area: the
Vikos Gorge and the
Aoos Gorge. Together with the mountain valley of Valia Kalda they have been declared protected regions and constitute the National Park of Northern Pindos. Furthermore, many mountain settlements with long history and unique architecture are located throughout the range.
Nature and wildlife
The Pindus region covers a wide range of elevations and habitats, from deep
canyons to steep mountains. The wide range in altitude results in two major forest zones:
* A
conifer zone, where trees such as a subspecies of
Austrian Pine
''Pinus nigra'', the Austrian pine or black pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across Southern Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to the eastern Mediterranean, on the Anatolian peninsula of Turkey, Corsica and Cyprus, as ...
and the endemic
Greek fir
''Abies cephalonica'' or Greek fir is a fir native to the mountains of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnesos and the island of Kefallonia, intergrading with the closely related Bulgarian fir further north in the Pindus mountains of northern Gre ...
, characterise the highest elevations, with
juniper woodlands dominating near the timberline.
* A mixed
broadleaf forest zone dominates the
valleys and
canyons of the middle and lower elevations.
Large breeding colonies of
herons,
spoonbills,
egret
Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same buil ...
s, and
pelicans fish the waters of the mountain lakes of the Pindus. This is one of the few areas in Europe where the rare
Dalmatian pelican can be found.
Wolves,
jackals, and
bears are found in the forests.
Ecology
The forests of this region have faced many threats over the course of human history, including
overgrazing, agriculture, and
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...
. The greatest threats now come from the development of mountain tourism and
ski resorts. Because of the instability of the soil on steep mountains, road-building and clear-cutting operations have led to dangerous landslides and the collapse of mountain slopes. Mining for
bauxite, overgrazing, and over-collection of plants are also threatening the great biodiversity of this ecoregion.
National Parks
In the Greek section of the Pindus mountains there are two national parks.
Vikos-Aoos National Park
The Vikos-Aoos National Park is south of the town of
Konitsa, in the west part of
Zagori
Zagori ( el, Ζαγόρι; rup, Zagori), is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some and contains 46 villages known as ...
region. It includes Mount
Tymfi, the
Vikos Gorge and the
Aoos Gorge. It was created in 1973.
Pindus National Park
The Pindus National Park (also known as Valia Kalda) is in a remote area in the north east of the Pindus mountains, north of the town of
Metsovo
Metsovo ( el, Μέτσοβο; rup, Aminciu) is a town in Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east.
The largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large re ...
and south of
Perivoli. The park of some 7,000 hectares was established in 1966. There are forests of
black pine and
beech, and in the higher parts,
Bosnian Pine
''Pinus heldreichii'' (synonym ''P. leucodermis''; family Pinaceae), the Bosnian pine or Heldreich’s pine, is a species of pine native to mountainous areas of the Balkans and southern Italy.
Description
It is an evergreen tree up to in heigh ...
(''Pinus leucodermis''). The park is a refuge for
bears,
wild cats, and
lynxes.
The National Park was selected as main motif for two high value euro collectors' coins: the €10 Greek
Birds and Flowers and
Black Pine Trees commemorative coins, minted in 2007. On the obverse of the latter there is a panoramic view of the common black pine trees that are prevalent in the park.
See also
*
Agrafa
*
Battle of Pindus
The Battle of Pindus ( el, Μάχη της Πίνδου) took place in the Pindus Mountains in Epirus and West Macedonia, Greece, from 28 October–13 November 1940. The battle was fought between the Greek and the Italian armies during the first ...
*
Mount Smolikas
References
Sources
* N. Hammond, Epirus, vol. A΄, transl. Athanasiou Giagka, publ. Epirotiki Vivliothiki, Athens 1971, pp. 12–13.
* F. Dasoulas, “Pindos, oi geografikes kai istorikes diastaseis enos onomatos”
indos, the geographical and historic dimensions of a name Epirotiko Imerologio 31(2012), pp. 189–254
* K. Tsipiras, Oreini Ellada
ountainous Greece publ. Kedros S.A., 2003, pp. 14–61
* N. Kosmas, “Oi diodoi tis Pindou”
he passages of Pindos Epirotiki Estia 4 (1955), pp. 14–20.
* N. Pihtos, H aisthitiki tis Pindou
he aesthetics of Pindos publ. City of Metsovo, Ioannina 1988.
* B. Nitsiakos, Oi oreines koinotites tis voreias Pindou. Ston apoiho tis makras diarkeias
he mountainous settlements of Northern Pindos. Long term echoes publ. Plethron, Athens 1995.
Further reading
*Salmon, T. (2006), ''The Mountains of Greece: The Pindos Mountains'', Cicerone Press,
External links
Greek Mountain FloraPindus Mountains terrain mapby Geopsis (includes
Tzoumerka
Tzoumerka ( el, Τζουμέρκα) is a former municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality North Tzoumerka, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit ...
, Peristeri,
Aspropotamos, Triggia,
Koziakas
Koziakas ( el, Δήμος/Δημοτική Ενότητα Κόζιακα) is a former municipality in the Trikala regional unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trikala
Trikala ( el, Τρ� ...
)
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of Albania
Mountain ranges of Greece
Physiographic sections
Landforms of Epirus (region)
Landforms of Central Greece
Landforms of Thessaly
Landforms of Western Macedonia