Grand Forest Metsovo ★★★★★

Trekking through the foothills of the Pindos Mountains, following the fresh tracks of a brown bear and its cub and occasionally looking up to watch an eagle soaring through the clear blue sky, definitely beats a day in the office… don’t you think?

A plane ride and a short drive through the snowy alpine scenery later, and we’d arrived at our home for the next week - a stunning building with authentic wooden shutters and large glass panels letting the light in, nestled on top of the mountains. Our Mountain View Suite was elegant and tasteful, with a contoured king-sized bed and modern furnishings complete with all the facilities we could possibly need. Before tiring ourselves out with the innumerable mountain activities on offer over the next few days, we decided to spend our first afternoon relaxing and soaking up the laidback ambience. So we put on the cosy robes and slippers provided for us, made ourselves a cup of hot chocolate and sat on our private veranda, taking in the breath-taking scenery – pure bliss!

Still in the relaxation frame of mind, we headed down to the Fontus Spa to enjoy the indoor pool, whirlpool and sauna. We treated ourselves to a range of treatments by Germaine de Capuccini, whose products and techniques ensure the wellbeing, relaxation and regeneration of the body.

Feeling revitalised but peckish, we spent the evening in the award-winning restaurant, where we indulged in a delicious Greek meal complimented with a glass of ‘Zitsa’ and excellent service.
The plentiful buffet breakfast the following day was more than enough to replenish our energy for a day of exploring. We picked one of the trails starting from the hotel and headed into the mountains, laden with a picnic basket full of local products which the staff had kindly prepared for us. We walked along fresh bear tracks, listening out for the multitude of wildlife lurking in the forest.

The rest of our trip went far too quickly, and after a week of hiking, cycling and skiing, we’d barely made a dent in the amount of activities on offer. There were so many more hidden treasures to be discovered… I guess we’ll just have to come back next year.