Epirus / Ηπειρος

This is a region in Greece, located on the border with Albania. It was an independent Greek kingdom in ancient times, and became a Roman province in 148 BC. The Dodona site is located herem the most important ancient Greek oracle after Delphi. Today the area is located partly in Greece and partly in Albania, with only the southern Greek section still being referred to as Epirus today. The region stretches along the western part of Greece, along the coast of the Ionian Sea up to the Ceraunian mountains in the north. It is the smallest and roughest region in Greece, with the sparsest population. The highest point is Mount Smolikas at 2.637 metres above sea level. Only one fifth of Epirus is not hilly, the soils are particularly rich in limestone. In the west, the hills and mountains fall off to the coast of the Ionian sea. The two wine-growing regions are the classified appellation of Zitsa, to the west of the capital city of Ioannina, and the unclassified region of Metsovo, to the east of the capital. The Ionian islands are located close to the coast.