Mikro Horio, "Little Village," sits about 8 kilometres west of Karpenisi and was partially abandoned after a 1963 earthquake damaged many of its traditional stone houses. The government relocated most residents to a new settlement below, and the upper village was left to fall quiet. Today the combination of inhabited lower houses and roofless upper ruins gives Mikro Horio a melancholy beauty that draws photographers and those curious about the texture of rural Greek life before the great depopulation of mountain villages.
Walking through the old quarter, you pass through thick stone arches, past doorways that open onto collapsed interiors, and occasional flourishes — carved lintels, painted shutters still standing — that remind you how much care went into building these houses. The setting, on a steep hillside looking toward the Karpenisiotis valley, is exceptional. Allow a couple of hours including the drive from Karpenisi and a walk around the ruins.