The mountainous artificial lake, the fertile plateau, the beautiful route, the special natural beauty of the place, which combines the wet element with the forest and meadows, the cool days and nights, are undoubtedly the surprise at the springs of Aoos, in Politsies of Metsovo.
On the route to the artificial lake, we reach the village of Chrysovitsa and continuing, after 7 km we meet the plateau of the «mountain potato». An altitude of 1,350 meters, a vast potato cultivation, 1,440 acres, as the first producer we meet tells RES-MPA. Pericles was laying out the pipes to water his fields. Potatoes keep Chrysovitsa with its 800 inhabitants alive. Young farmers and 27 families are engaged in the delicious, healthy potato, of the «Agria» breed, we were told. And it is of high quality because of the soil, but also because the crops are watered by the clear waters of the Aoos springs.
The information they give us is important. Each acre yields about four tonnes of potatoes, while the region as a whole produces six thousand tonnes. Of course, the producers are often faced with problems. These are no less than the wild boars that roam around and destroy the fields, but also the weather conditions.
All summer long, the plateau of Chrysovitsa is full of life. The producers plant the potatoes in May and the harvest takes place in September. Every day they are all in the fields, and when the sun goes down after watering, they sometimes have fun around a makeshift table before heading down to the village.
Pericles points out that most of them market their product without intermediaries, so the price is attractive for the consumer and ranges around 0.80 euros per minute.
The potato of Chrysovitsa has its own history. It has been cultivated non-stop on the plateau in Politsies for 80 years. The fertile soil was discovered by chance by the villagers when in 1942 they fled to the mountain meadow to escape the fury of the German occupiers. They planted wheat and potatoes to make a living. It was then that they discovered the special quality of the products.
Potato farmers believe that their production is protected by the miraculous Virgin Mary, which is located in the historic monastery in their village. Everyone has a prayer to remember to stop hail or other weather events that threaten their fields.
The Artificial Lake of Aoos Springs
Where the potato fields end, a small uphill path of 300 meters reveals the unique spectacle of the artificial mountain lake. It was created by the dam built on the Aoos River to exploit the water of the springs for the production of electricity. The lake is located between Valia Calda and the Viko-Aoos National Park. Its shoreline is of rare beauty, forming small fjords with rich fauna and flora. Green islands in the lake highlight its rare beauty. Its area is 11.5 square kilometres. Along the shores are forests of black pine and beech trees, rhododendrons, bushes and rare wild orchids.
In winter, the approach to the area is difficult. Due to the high altitude, the area is covered with snow and the road becomes dangerous. In summer, however, it offers an excellent experience and many breaths of fresh air!
M. Jora
