| Gramos | |
|---|---|
The south face of the mountain |
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| Elevation | 2,523 m (8,278 ft) |
| Pronunciation | Albanian pronunciation: [ˈɡɾamɔs] Greek: [ˈɣramos] |
| Location | |
| Location | Eastern Kolonjë District, Albania North Eastern Ioannina Prefecture and Western Kastoria Prefecture, Greece |
Gramos (Albanian: Gramoz, Mali i Gramozit; Aromanian: Gramosta, Gramusta; Greek: Γράμος) is a mountain range in the eastern Kolonjë district in Albania and the northeastern Ioannina and the westernmost Kastoria prefecture in Greece. The mountain is part of the Pindus mountain ranges and is one of the northernmost. Its peaks stand over 2,523 m (8,278 ft). It owes its name to the Aromanian community of Gramos in the westernmost Kastoria Prefecture. The region is inhabited mostly by Aromanians.
The GR-20 (Kozani - Konitsa - Ioannina) is to the southeast. Its length is approximately 25 km (16 mi) to 30 km (19 mi) from northwest to southeast and its width is approximately 15 km (9 mi) to 20 km (12 mi) from southwest to northeast.
The two long and important rivers of Albania, the Osum and Devoll, originate on the northern slopes of Gramos.
Mount Gramos was a communist stronghold during the Greek Civil War and site of the relevant battle in 1949.
Contents |
In Albania:
In Greece:
Forests dominate the low lying areas of the mountain and contains pine and spruce trees, the valley areas, grasslands, bushes and unvegetated portions dominate the higher elevations. The area around the mountain contains villages and forest roads as well as hiking trails, many of the roads do not connect both sides of the mountain range. Two roads surround the mountains. The mountaintop is to the southeast.
The mountain was a major communist stronghold in the Greek Civil War. The provisional democratic government (i.e. the communist government) had its headquarters in the vicinity. It fell to the national government only in 1949, bringing the near conclusion of the Greek Civil war since after its fall only isolated pockets were left in communist control. The mountain still has live minefields from the civil war despite decades of demining and access to parts of the mountain is perilous.
Its panorama includes the mountains of southeatern Albania, the mountains in the Kastoria prefecture as well as most of the valley and its lake, the Voio mountains and the northeastern Ioanina prefecture as well as Smolikas and parts of Tymfi.