Every long journey begins with a single turn of the pedals. Ours starts on the outskirts of Agrinio, where four bicycles loaded with little more than the essentials set off towards the mountains of Western Greece. Our route, passing by Lake Stratos on the way to Arta, is far from the shortest, but it is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding. It winds through mountainous landscapes and remote villages that guard hidden treasures, such as the single-arched stone bridge of Verga spanning the Inachos River. We stop in Neo Chalkiopoulo to refill our water bottles before tackling a series of bends and climbs that eventually lead us, in the cool of the evening, to Peta, where the local cultural association’s festival is in full swing.
A stop at the Arta’s famous stone bridge. [Giorgos Detsis]
Arta and Ioannina
At first light, we roll downhill into a still-sleeping Arta. A stop at the town’s famous stone bridge feels almost obligatory. Immortalized in Greek folk tradition, the asymmetrical bridge is inseparable from the legend of the master builder’s wife, said to have been buried alive within its foundations so the structure would finally stand. Before the day grows hot, we are already climbing toward Rodavgi.
