Museums in Zagorochoria

Zagoria is one of the most famous mountainous destinations for both winter and summer vacation. Blessed with a unique natural beauty and exquisite monuments, the local tradition and history are apparent in several museums. Among the most important places of interest, the Rizarios Centre for Exhibitions is included in the village of Monodendri. The building itself is dedicated to the Rizari brothers who originated from Monodendri and offered a substantial financial aid to the Greek War of Independence. Due to this fact, the center was named after them and today it is enriched with a beautiful photo archive and operates as a school for traditional arts, offering free training.

The Museum of Traditional Jobs provides a rich folklore material including tools and vessels that locals used in daily life. It lies in Elafotopos, one of the most picturesque villages in Zagoria. Lazarides Museum of fauna and flora is unique for the nature lovers. It was established by the known naturalist Lazarides who dedicated his life to the collection of species of plants from Vikos Gorge. Paschaleios Museum is known as an educational center and was founded in 17th century by Parschalis brothers. Today it is a Folklore Museum with many items from the local art of Zagoria.

The Sarakatsani Shepfold Museum was established in 1995. It is an open-air museum that depicts the life and culture of an old nomadic tribe, the Sarakatsani. It is found close to Tsepelove village, on the slopes of Tumfi mountains.

The Rizarios Centre for Exhibitions is found in Monodendri. It was created in 2001 and it is housed in an old traditional mansion. Close to the exhibition center, there is the Rizarios Handicraft School.

Built in the 17th century by the Paschalis brothers as the center of education, the building has been preserved today and hosts the folklore museum of the village.

The Lazarides Museum of Flora and Fauna is found in Koukouli village, Zagoria. It is dedicated to Kostas Lazarides, an important naturalist who collected 1,240 different species of plants in the Vikos Aoos Gorge. Today, the museum hosts 2,500 dried species of herbs and plants from Epirus. Many of them are known for their healing traits and are used by local people to produce medication.

The museum of traditional jobs is placed in Elafotopos, a village next to Ano Pedina. It is housed in the old Primary School of Elafotopos and its collection was created by its founder, Michalis Oikonomides. It is also known as the folklore museum of the village since Oikonomides provided hundreds of objects not only related to the traditional jobs in Zagoria but also to the everyday life there.