Efforts underway to fully restore Meteora’s historic stone bridges

ATHENS – [ANA-MPA] 

As a living testament to Greece’s history, the stone bridges built by the celebrated master-builders of Epirus and Pindos are not only a link between different localities but also a connection to the region’s past and local traditions. Some of the finest specimens are located within the Municipality of Meteora, which has undertaken actions to preserve and repair them, especially those damaged after Storm Daniel.

“The stone bridges of the Municipality of Meteora are not merely technical constructions of the past. They are living parts of our history, our identity, and our cultural heritage. They are symbols of connection—not only geographical, but also human and cultural.

“Particularly the Sarakina bridge, which was severely damaged by the storm ‘Daniel’, is for us a monument of national importance. In collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, we are finalising the necessary studies and pursuing the funding required for its restoration. The same applies to the Gkikas bridge in Kranea, where restoration procedures have already begun,” Meteora Mayor Lefteris Avramopoulos said to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).

“As the Municipal Authority, we are committed to protecting, highlighting, and utilising all the historic bridges of our region—not only as monuments of the past, but also as pillars of sustainable development and cultural revival in the Municipality of Meteora.

“The promotion and preservation of these bridges is not only a duty to the past, but also an investment in the future. Their integration into gentle tourism and cultural networks can become a driver of growth for the mountainous countryside, while their preservation is an act of respect toward our cultural identity.

“Because for the Municipality of Meteora, the stone bridges are not merely witnesses of history. They are history itself,” he added.

One of the oldest of these bridges, according to the municipalities records, is the Balta bridge spanning the Kakoplevritis ravine, which was built in 1403 and has lasted more than six centuries. Also in Kakoplevri is the single-arch Delis Bridge that straddles the Boutza River, which feeds into the Ionas and Pineios rivers, and was built in 1860. The Psyrra Bridge at Psiloma Asproklissias dates back to 1790, which the Michos Bridge at Anthousa, Aspropotamos was built in 1799 and was the start of the mule run at Tzoumerka.

The Gkikas Bridge in Krania, dating to the second half of the 18th century, was a key passage to the Thessaly plain but like the Sarakina bridge, sustained damage during Storm Daniel. Work on its restoration has already begun, with the support of the culture ministry.

The most impressive is the Sarakina Bridge with its seven arches above the Pineios River, which also served as a vital connection to the Thessaly plain and which is to undergo a full restoration.