Between Greece and Albania, as a physical border, stands Gramos mountain, a vast area of beautiful peaks and a historic landmark during World War II.
It is the fourth tallest mountain of Greece, reaching 2.520 meters, and expands in two regional units of the country, Ioannina and Kastoria. It is part of the Pindus mountain range, which is 160km long and stretches from the north to central Greece.
In Gramos I find wilderness and serenity, although in this area war left its terrible memories, not only between Greece and Italy during World War II but also during the Greek civil war from 1946 to 1949.
Gramos is a perfect place for nature photography, best for landscape and forest shots, although wildlife images are possible as the area is the home of the brown bear, the wolf, a lot of birds. Of course in such a big area wildlife is difficult to be spotted.
One of the most important spots in Gramos is Lake Moutsalia, under Arenes peak, a 1.5 hour trip from Nestorio village. The lakecan be found at 1.740 meters and it is only 1 meter deep.
It is the place you can find three species of newts, namely the alpine newt (triturus alpestris), the common newt (triturus vulgaris) and the great crested newt (triturus cristatus). Also here lives the snake, vipera berus. In the winter the lake freezes entirely.
In my exploration of the area I found another great spot, higher than Gramos Village, where you can see the beautiful mountain in the first image of this post. Epic location and scenery.
If you like to explore Gramos you will need an 4×4 vehicle, as a lot of roads are difficult for common cars. If you have a 4×4 vehicle it is sure you will find unique images.
Don’t hesitate to contact me to ask information about the area, join my autumn workshop or plan with me your private visit to Gramos.
