Karpenisi

By car

From Karpenisi Ski Center, 10.5 km (15 minutes)

From Athens, 288 km (3 hours and 28 minutes)

From Thessaloniki, 371 km (4 hours and 23 minutes)

From Patra, 130 km (3 hours)

From Ioannins, 209 km (3 hours and 42 mintues)

From Trikala Thessalia, 133 km (2 hours and 52 minutes)

• ANTIQUITY

According to Homer, the first known inhabitants of northern Evrytania -Karpenisi- were the Dolopes, who took part in the campaign against Troy around 1100 BC. The ancient capital of the area was Oihalia, situated close to the city of Karpenisi. Ancient Evritanians especially honored Diana, the goddess of hunting and Ulysses for his ability to be cunning and inventive.

There are two possible explanations for the origin of the name "Evrytania".

The first is that is formed from the Greek word "ev" for "well" and the verb "hreo", for "flow" so that altogether the word "Evrytania" means the place where there is plenty of fresh and "well flown" water. The second explanation for the names origins, comes from the verb "evrio", meaning "stretching the cord of the bow", hence the name of the first king of the area, Evritos, who was an excellent archer.

• ROMAN AND BYZANTINE ERA

In the Roman period, the area became better known, especially after the battle between the Roman and the Aetolian League (Greek) armies, in the location of "Kokalia", which ended in favour of the former.

During the Byzantine times, the people of Evritania had the rare privileges of self-government and tax exemption. For this reason the northern part of the district was also called "Agrafa" (unwritten), because the residents were not listed in the Imperial tax registers.

• OTTOMAN ERA

During the Ottoman rule of Greece, this area remained relatively free, especially the very remote areas in the mountains. For this reason, the population of the villages grew. During the 18th century a famous school was created here by Evgenios Yannoulis the Aetolian, a school which had a great contribution in awakening the ethnic consciousness of the nation.

The Turks and Albanians raid the territory many times. However one of the turning points, at the historic site of Kefalovrisso, on the night of 8 August 1823, was when General Markos Botsaris was killed by the Turkish army sent by the Sultan to stop the Greek Rebellion. The Greek troops won the battle and, although the great shock from the death of the hero at first, the soldiers were to fight more bravely from then after.

• WORLD WAR II

During the Second World War, when German and Italian troops occupied the country, the "Government" was established in the village of Viniani during the Spring of 1944 and it proclaimed elections for a National Council. This Committee was convoked at Korischades, in the school building in 1944 with representatives from all over the country, and made substantial decisions about the Resistance war.

These mountains became the stronghold of the Greek freedom fighters (Hellenic Liberation Army – EL.A.S.) against the German occupation during World War II.

Through its history, due to warfare, Karpenisi has been ruined and rebuilt many times; the last act of destruction was carried out by Wehrmacht General Hartwig von Ludwiger in 1944 in an effort to annihilate a supposed center of Communist resistance.

• MODERN KARPENISI

This in an unremarkable market town in the middle of Roumeli, notable less for its own merits than for what's around it. The chief attraction, in fact, is the Karpenisi Ski Centre eight miles out of town on Mount Velouhi, perched nearly 6,000 feet above sea level at a spot called Diavolotopos – literally, Devil's place.

This centre has ten tracks, seven ski lifts, the requisite number of restaurants and first aid facilities, and a stunning view of a good part of the central Greek mountain tops that has been compared to the view from near the top of Mont Blanc.

Most of Greece is arid and dry but in Karpenisi there is much greenery and forestation. While far away from the sea and the world renowned islands of the Aegean and Ionian, Karpenisi has become an important ski center and an outdoors person's play ground. In fact during the summer it is a great place to escape the heat.

Source: www.wikipedia.org