You’ll find mushrooms, mammoths, and a gorgeous warm valley in and around this wonderful western Macedonian town.
Officially designated the City of Mushrooms in 2007, because of the 2000 varieties of mushrooms that grow here, Grevena’s entrance is decorated with a giant statue of a hand full of the flavoursome fungus, and there are also restaurants dedicated to the variable ingredient. The Vasilitsa Ski Resort in the Pindos mountain range is another reason visitors flock here during winter, while year-round visitors can enjoy the outdoor adventures- and incredible beauty of the Valia Calda national park, one of Greece’s most impressive.
Top things to do
– Visit the Mushroom Museum in Lavda village to feast on photographs, audiovisual materials, illustrations, and sculptures inspired by the area’s mushroom culture.
-Explore the Valia Calda, famed for its astounding biodiversity, with a multitude of bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species inhabiting thick beech and black pine forests and alpine meadows (that in spring blossom with 18 types of orchids!).
-Meet a 12-ton Mammoth skeleton at the Milia Municipality’s Natural History Museum – the mysterious creature lived in the region two millennia ago and international fans held a conference here a few years ago.
– During summer, the Greek Mushroom Festival takes place here, which is one of the biggest Mushroom festivals in Europe and attracts visitors from all over the globe.
-At Eleftherias Square visit the stone clock tower, known as Plateia Rologiou, and Aimilianou Square is where you will find all the locals gather.
-Visit the Municipal Central Library located by the river where you will find discover a lot about the region’s history.
-Drive to nearby Mastorohoria, on the border of Kozani, a charming traditional settlement with stone-built homes and arched bridges. Sit down at one of the Karelia and enjoy a traditional Greek coffee.
Best places to eat
-Sworn mushroom-lovers always stop at cozy Avlais, where the star ingredient can be enjoyed in endless traditional and inventive renditions.
-Mushrooms are also honoured at Perdika, where the menu also offers plenty of meat options like wild boar stew and grilled meat platters.
-If you have a sweet tooth don’t miss out on Achilleas’ Bougatsa and for coffee or cocktails head to Fuit Art Cafe.
Don’t leave Evrytania without trying: Manitaroproinda Grevenon sells everything you can conceive of related to mushrooms – from liqueurs and cooking powders to desiccated mushrooms and truffle oils.
Getting there
From Athens, drive west along the Olympia, Ionia, and Egnatia motorways, it’s around a five-hour drive. From Thessaloniki, it’s around 180 km and it’s roughly a one-and-a-half-hour drive.