Koukouli - Zagori
In Koukouli, with its impressive stone houses and lovely small square, beside the Vikos gorge at an altitude of 850–900m, you can visit the Lazarides Folk Museum and the church of the Assumption of the Virgin (1788).
You can also wander among the old mansions, of which the Plakidas mansion stands out , as does the old school with the five springs.
Around the village you will find the traditional Ipirot bridges of Kokkoris, triple-arched Kalogerikos and others.
Lazarides Folk Museum
This is where your lesson about the natural history of Zagori begins. In the museum’s halls you will find examples of the pharmaceutical plants that thrive in the region, as well as information about the miraculous profession of the Vikos physicians, a group of practising doctors who used to make therapeutic preparations from plants. Open Wednesday to Sunday, morning until afternoon. Tel: 26530 71775.
The church of the Assumption of the Virgin (1788)
It is said that the three best churches in Zagori are those of Negades, Papingo and Koukouli. The Assumption of the Virgin is a truly impressive edifice. It is a place of worship in Regal style. According to the inscription above the inside of the western entrance, the existing church was built in 1788, the third in the same location. The second had been erected in 1630, while “the year of construction of the first little church is unclear…”
The Plakidas Mansion
This is one of the best known mansions in all of Zagori. The great benefactor of the village, Evgenios Plakidas, was born here. The mansion was built before 1830. It is one of the few remaining inimitable monuments of tradition and architecture in the Zagorohoria.
The old school with the five springs
Next to the church there is a group of buildings that is impressive from an architectural standpoint. It comprises the chapel of the Source of Life, the old school, the cellar and three springs. The Source of Life is the first church to have been built in Koukouli, around the 12th century. Next to it is the old school, which was used as an educational facility until 1936. Adjacent to the school, sharing a common wall, is the cellar, which was built around 1770. Below the group of buildings there are three springs: the spring of Basias; the spring of Manthos in the middle; and the spring of Hadzis Vritsis, which was built in 1758.
The triple-arched bridge of Kalogerikos or Plakidas
The triple-arched bridge of Kalogerikos or Plakidas was wooden in the very old days. In 1814 the abbot of the Profitis Ilias monastery, which had a mill, made the present-day stone bridge and thus it got the name Kalogerikos, which means “of the monk”. It took its second name, Plakidas, from the Koukouli noble Plakidas, who twice had it repaired. In 1964 the bridge was given the status of protected historical monument and in 1980 it appeared on a stamp.
The bridge of Mr. Noutsou or Kokkoros
The bridge of Mr. Noutsou or Kokkoros was built in 1750. It is a characteristic example of a Zagorian bridge and well worth a visit.
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