Pournia

As we ascend the beautiful valley of Vourkopotamos, we meet a branch on the right which in 3 km brings you to the picturesque village of Pournia. The village is 25.1 km away from Konitsa and 6.9 km from the National Road. The old name of the village was Staritsiani.

It is a beautiful village with cold waters and rich oak and black pine forests. Higher towards Kleftis mountain and at the top “Daliopolis” of Smolikas there are also beech forests.

Walking through the alleys of the village you will find rich mansions with magnificent front doors and well-built buildings, an indisputable fact of the wealth that flowed into the village from the expatriates.

Right before the village the visitor meets the bridge of “Mavri Petra” that stands there since 1817. The travelers are impressed by the nearby steep rock where an unknown artist of previous centuries painted the image of the Almighty and the bridge of Selios.

A remarkable religious monument is the central church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, patrons of the village. The current church (of the basilica type) is built on the site of the old one. It is said that in the past there were three settlements: Staritsa, Selou, and Anargyroi. According to tradition, Pournia is the birthplace of another village, called “Trapia” and was built at a short distance from it, in a location that still bears this name. Today, the inhabitants of Pournia are cattle breeders and lumberjacks.

From the village, forest roads and paths lead you to beautiful locations. From the place “Daliopolis”, located near the top of Kleftis, today you can enjoy the panoramic view to the ridges and slopes of the surrounding mountains: Trapezitsa, Tymfi, Grammos and Smolikas.

In the central square of the village on the 15th of August a festival is held with a large participation of people. In Pournia there is a hostel for overnight, a tavern and a cafe.

The name of the well-known district of Exarcheia in Athens came from Vassilios Exarchos, a native of Pournia, who maintained a grocery-hotel in the area (died in 1910). His property after a personal will that he drafted on 17-3-1899 is now managed by a bequest in his name that aims to help his village with public works.