Trails
Deep in the heart of Cyprus and away from its blazing coastal line, the luxuriant forest of Machairas thrives against the arid climate of the subtropical Mediterranean island. Especially known to the Christian world for the homonymous monastery that was built there in the 12th century, this eastern part of Troodos mountain range is uniquely…
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Deep in the Small Cold valley, resting at the edge of a cirque, Teryho chata has been weathering the abrupt summer storms and blinding winter blizzards of High Tatras for more than a century. Built in 1899, by the Hungarian Carpathian Association, this mountain refuge was named after the doctor and avid climber Edmund Tery,…
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Zelene pleso means “green tarn” and that’s exactly the hue of its crystal clear waters. Located at the end of Bielej Vody valley, this small mountain lake is surrounded by towering peaks that soar one kilometer high above the valley, casting their long shadows on its floor for the biggest part of the day. On…
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Every year, the missus and I try to climb at least one bucket list summit, and since we love the High Tatras, this year’s goal was Gerlakovsky—Slovakia’s highest summit. While organizing the whole thing though, a pregnancy test came up positive, and we had to adapt accordingly. Koprovsky (2363m) would be as adventurous and challenging…
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Madari circular trail is in my humble opinion the most beautiful trail in Cyprus. It starts just outside the village of Kyperounta in eastern Troodos Mountains and follows a well signed 13km trail with approximately 650m elevation gain through some of the most beautiful sceneries the island has to offer. Its average difficulty shouldn’t pose…
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Atalanti is one of the most popular trails in Cyprus Atalanti trail is the second highest in Cyprus after Artemis and one of the most beautiful on Troodos Mountain. Cyprus may not be a popular hiking destination but truth is that it has some excellent trails extending from easy to moderate difficulty which are perfect…
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Hiking is one of the healthiest and most relaxing activities there is. It’s a great way to get out of your routine, relief stress effectively and improve your mental health while getting some great exercise. Consequently, it’s one of the few things on this world that can improve your overall health and quality of life…
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Irish Mountains Talking about mountains in Ireland, might sound a bit ironic since the emerald island is famous for its endless green flats more than anything else. Truth is that Ireland not only has mountains but they also present a great opportunity for people to be introduced to mountaineering (this hiking guide can help) and…
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People and especially media people tend to tell stories about epic journeys and successful accomplishments. But truth to be told there are much more to be learned from a failure than a success thus the reading of a defeat is much more useful to a reader than an epic story of triumph. This story is…
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The Return Day 7 Last day of hiking and our luck had eventually run out. Outside it was pouring and the gloomy horizon wasn’t showing any sign of improvement. Originally, we had planned to hike back to Monodentri through Vitsa but even though we could still go—rain or not, we just preferred to take it…
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The Break Day 6 Even though today would be something like a day off. We still agreed to walk for a couple of hours, so that our legs wouldn’t get stiff. The guys from Hikes4all had arranged a small route to Dilofo village just to stretch a bit. After having lunch there, a car would…
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The Viewpoint Day 5 Our fifth day in Zagori started with a hearty rural breakfast. It was splendid with five types of homemade jam and cheese produced by the owners among other things. You just can’t beat top ingredients no matter what you cook out of them. The day’s hike was simple and fairly…
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The Descent Day 4 It was pitch–dark and I could only hear the intense activity that took place in the refuge. Time was half past six and most people were already up, getting dressed and fixing their equipment. Me and Veronika were the last ones as usual. The majority would cross Mt. Tymfi and get…
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The Ascent Day 3 I waited five minutes for the alarm to ring, then I quietly got dressed and went out. Darkness was still covering Mikro Papingo as I was navigating through its narrow alleys. Outside the gate, Astraka towers looked imposing above the tiny village. Rogovo As I was walking the only road leaving…
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The River. Day 2. After a good night’s sleep, we woke up in high spirits. The euphoria of the previous day was still on and we couldn’t wait to start our second day in Zagori. The day’s march would take us back to Voidomatis river and the infamous Kleidonia bridge. From there, we would be…
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The Gorge. Day 1. Hiking Vikos gorge under rain is treacherous because of the rock falls. So naturally the first thing I did when I woke up was to open the door and get on the small balcony. To my relief there were only a few small clouds here and there. “Good start”. The plan…
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Zagori Hike : The Beginning Having left behind Ioannina—the capital of Epirus. We took the old road to Zagorochoria—as all forty six villages of Zagori are collectively named. We hadn’t seen a car or people for the last twenty minutes and I could feel the isolation of the place as our small Fiat 500x…
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Zagori : The Kingdom of Infinite Country Epirus—rightfully called “the infinite country” since ancient times, got this epithet from its mountains which row after row dominate the horizon, making the region to appear endless. Zagori, one of the most astounding places you’ll ever see, is hidden in the heart of this isolated region of northwestern…
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To Priecne Sedlo and Back I was really looking forward for this trip to Priecne Sedlo. For all I knew it looked very promising. A real adventure out in the mountains. And I wasn’t wrong. This trail in High Tatras was an adventure with all the good and bad things real adventures come with! Our…
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The Oak Woodland of Xeromero In the western part of the prefecture of Aetoloakarnania in Xeromero province, just 30 km from Agrinio, the largest city of the county, is the only Oak Woodland in Greece and one of the largest in Europe. Location Based in Agrinio, a city that would ensure plenty of accommodation and…
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Troodos trails are like a well kept secret in Cyprus. The island is mostly known for the golden beaches and the wild parties of Ayia Napa. Cyprus not only has trails, but also has mountain trails. Yes! It has mountains as well! Troodos Troodos is the biggest mountain range in the island. The highest peak…
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The Majestic High Tatras Standing between Slovakia and Poland the proud mountain range of High Tatras has a special charm and atmosphere. Protected by National Park status and part of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves the Tatras are a great place to be for nature lovers, hikers and climbers. If you love mountains then you have to visit…
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The ruins of Uhrovec castle are located on Nitricke Vrchy Hills which are part of Strazovske vrchy. Hidden inside the dense forest, the castle is really isolated and not accessible by car. But you wouldn’t want to go by car anyway because the trail that leads to the castle from Uhrovec Podhradie is ethreal. It’s…
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Patsos gorge is also known as Agios Antonios because of the little church in the cave near the entrance of the gorge. It is located 30km from the city of Rethymno at 490m altitude. In the shadow of Samaria gorge which is also in Crete, Patsos is a smaller and less crowded choice. The whole…
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Samaria gorge, the second biggest gorge in Europe is located in the White mountains south of Chania.It belongs to the greater area of Samaria National park and its flora and fauna are protected by law. It begins at the plateau of Omalos (1200m) and ends up in Agia Roumeli village after 16km. The entrance is called…
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