3 Best Sights in Epirus and Thessaly, Greece

This fascinating museum of regional paintings and sculptures showcases the outstanding art collection amassed by politician and intellectual Evangelos Averoff (1910–90), whose effect on Metsovo is still lauded today. The 19th- and 20th-century paintings depict historical scenes, local landscapes, and daily activities. Most major Greek artists, such as Nikos Ghikas and Alekos Fassianos, are represented. One painting known to all Greeks is Nikiforos Litras's Burning of the Turkish Flagship by Kanaris, a scene from a decisive battle in Chios. Look on the second floor for Pericles Pantazis's Street Urchin Eating Watermelon, a captivating portrait of a young boy. Paris Prekas's The Mosque of Aslan Pasha in Ioannina depicts what Ioannina looked like in the Turkish period. There is also a children's art room where fidgety youngsters can create masterpieces set for the kitchen fridge.

For generations the Tossizza family had been one of the most prominent in Metsovo, and to get a sense of how Metsovites lived (and endured the arduous winters in style), visit their home, a restored late-Ottoman-period stone-and-timber building that is now the Tossizza Museum of popular art and local Epirote crafts. Built in 1661 and renovated in 1954, this typical Metsovo mansion has carved woodwork, sumptuous textiles in rich colors on a black background, and handcrafted Vlach furniture. In the stable you'll see the gold-embroidered saddle used for special holidays and, unique to this area, a fanlight in the fireplace, ensuring that the hearth would always be illuminated. The goatskin bag on the wall was used to store cheese, one of the area's most noted products. Wait for the guard to open the door prior to the tour. Guides usually speak some English.

Want to see a tableau of Ali Pasha's legendary murder? Head to this museum to be shocked and amused, by turns, by its collection of historical Epirote waxwork figures from the past 2,500 years, all leading players in more than 30 historical "settings," including streets, mountains, caves, churches, and more. All the figures were sculpted in wax by artist Pavlos Vrellis, a local legend who embarked on this endeavor at the ripe age of 60. His studio is on the premises, a modern building that has stayed true to Eipirotic architectural style.