Aristi Village in Central Zagori and the Aristi Mountain Resort Hotel and Spa

Aristi is a village in the municipality of Central Zagori. Built at a height of 650m. above sea level, Aristi is 17kms far from the city of Konitsa and 48kms from the city of Ioannina.

One of 48 villages in Zagori (the so-called “Zagorohoria”), Aristi is ideally situated for a visit to the Vikos and Aoos gorges, the Voidomatis river and the villages of Papigo, Ano Pedina, Dilofo, Monodendri, Bourazani and the Mastorohoria of Konitsa.

Half an hour away by car from the city of Ioannina, the hotel is the appropriate starting point for a visit to the Castle, the archaeological Museum and the old city of Ioannina, the ancient theatre of Dodoni and the beautiful Byzantine churches of the area.

Within a day-trip distance is the old city of Gjirokaster and the remarkable archaeological site of Butrint, the only UNESCO protected heritage site in Albania, on the seaside opposite the coastline of Corfu.

The Zagori area-Epirus

One of the most interesting areas to visit in Epirusis the Zagori area with its 48 villages called Zagorohoria. The term, probably of slav origin, means “beyond the mountains”, a direct reference to the geographical location of the region.

Covering some 1000 kms2 the areas East, Central and West Zagori, offer their visitors an opportunity to discover and enjoy one of the last authentic and ecologically intact destinations in Greece.

Here one can visit and explore villages and places that keep their original architectural and cultural character, preserving the ancient, rich cultural tradition of Epirus.

Parks & Wildlife

Its rich natural habitat is the reason for the popularity of the Zagori area with visitors.

Away from big cities the mountain complex of Tymphe still remains a heaven for geological and ecological exploration.

The Vikos gorge, the Dragonlake on Tymphe, the stone Water Basins at Papigo, the river Voidomatis are but few among the numerous sites that wait for the visitor to see.

The Zagori area is home to endemic flower and plant species unique in Greece and remains home to many rare animals, some on the verge of extinction, such as bear, wolf, deer, wild goat and lynx.  

History-Local Culture

Epirus in ancient Greek means “mountainous country”. Indeed the area that was inhabited  by the first ancient Greek tribes in that western corner of Greece comprises of impressive mountain masses.

Ancient Epirus was inhabited by the tribes of Haones, Molossians and Thesprotians. All of them were speaking ancient Greek dialects and kept very close relations with the other Greeks, despite difficulties presented by the remoteness of their habitat. The region of Epirus hosted the second most important oracle in Greece, the famous Oracle at Dodone.

The traditional Greek river of the dead, the infamous Aheron, runs through the area. At its delta a Nekromanteion (oracle of the Dead) has been recently excavated. Important shaft graves dating from 3000 BC point to close connections between Epirotic and Mycenaean populations.

The history of Epirusis closely connected to each important stage in Greek history since antiquity. From queen Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great, to king Pyrrhos, legendary adversary of the Romans, through to Byzantine times, the fights for independence from the Turks and more recently to the Balkan Wars and the 2nd World War, the people of Epirus participated and were distinguished for their strength. Particularly significant is the financial contribution of emigrants who aided decidedly to the cultural continuity of their mother land through generous donations for the establishment of schools, churches, institutions.

Today, Epirus continues to be a part of Greece that proudly preserves and nurtures its traditional values in a host of important cultural aspects, like language, music, dance, architecture, folklore.

Getting to the Hotel

Visitors setting off from Thessalonikican reach Aristi driving on EGNATIA Roadand exiting at the signs for Ioannina Ring Road. Follow the signs to Konitsa-Kozani. At the 39thkm of the road follow the signs to Aristi-Papigo on your right.
Visitors setting off from Athens can reach Aristi via the road to Arta-Ioannina, continue on the Ioannina Ring Road, exiting to the signs for Konitsa-Kozani. At the 39thkm of the road follow the signs to Aristi-Papigo on your right.
Aristi Mountain Resort is situated to the right side of the road, immediately after the village name sign. Follow the paved road for about 120m to the hotel reception.

Environmental Policy-Sustainability

Our choice

Our choice during construction and later in everyday operation of the hotel was to secure a viable management of resources, such as water and energy. To comply with those standards, Aristi Mountain Resort has adopted the highest environmental requirements.

Green Policy

We at Aristi Mountain Resort aim to minimizing the impact of the hotel operation on the surrounding eco-system.

Zagori is a protected area because of its unique natural beauty. It is protected by the NATURA 2000 Convention and has been named a National Park, the “Vikos-AoosNational Park”.

Our hotel has a wastewater treatment plant. After treatment all cleaned water is filtered in the ground. A project to add tertiary filter treatment and ultra violet radiation disinfection is already in process. This will allow for the treated effluent to be used for irrigation.

Low energy electric lamps are used throughout the hotel to reduce energy consumption.

http://www.aristi.eu/en