Vradeto, the highest village in the Zagorohoria region, is renowned for its unique stone path, which once served as the only access route to the village. Often called “Zagori’s Balcony”, it lies at an altitude of 1,340 meters on the northwestern slope of Mount Tymfi, just a stone’s throw from the Vikos Gorge. Vradeto is especially famous for its remarkable stone stairway, the Skala of Vradeto. Built along a steep, rocky slope of varying elevations, this stairway is made up of 1,100 steps that connect the village with Kapesovo.
The Skala is a winding stone structure, crafted from black and white rocks that form three distinct lanes. This ingenious design was the builders’ solution to managing traffic between people and pack animals across the rugged terrain, at a time when it was the only passage linking the village to surrounding areas beyond the mountains.
For centuries, Vradeto’s remote location made it impossible to construct a road that could facilitate the transport of people and goods. In fact, until the early 1970s, the Skala remained the village’s sole link to the outside world. That changed in 1974, when a new road bypassing the gorge was completed. Almost immediately, the winding Skala and the two stone bridges—Pera and Dothe, which cross the Mezaria ravine—fell into disuse.
In 1988, Skala and the two bridges were listed as historic monuments, since they “are typical examples of the local folk architecture and they bear witness of how the locals survived and communicated in the past, and thus are important for the study of the history of architecture”. The Vradeto steps are a dry-stone construction, with 39 turns, about 1,5km in length with a 250m altitude variation. Legend has it that it took 20 years to complete and for the people of Vradeto to start using it, and while it has not yet been definitively dated, it is estimated that it was built in the 18 th century.
Today the steps use has changed, but it remains an impressive mountainous path, challenging hikers who want to explore the area. Going down the steps takes about an hour, while the view of the Mezaria ravine, at the edge of the Vikos gorge, from the steps is spectacular.
If you are in the mood for a mountainous hike, you can drive to Vradeto and then follow the marked trail to Kapesovo, which takes about 1,5 hour to complete. If you want to challenge yourself one step, literally and figuratively, further, you can go down and then back up the 1,100 steps of Skala of Vradeto. In this case, the hike to and fro will take about 2,5 hours, including frequent stops to take in the views.
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