A mere hour's drive from the Ottoman-era city of Ioannina, Papingo is one of the most unique villages in Greece. Perched at an elevation of 3,000 feet, it is bordered on one side by the cliffs of Astraka which rise to 8,000 feet, and on the other by the open view of waves of mountains all the way to the Ionian Sea. At one corner of the Astraka cliffs is Vikos Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world for its width and length. Settled since the Byzantine period, Papingo reached its peak of prosperity in the mid-nineteenth century when its men traveled throughout the Balkans and as far as Odessa as merchants. They brought back to Papingo not only wealth and stability, but also a thirst for education and a dedication to culture that still stands behind most of Greece's lasting cultural and educational institutions. Today's Papingo looks outward to tourism and the arts. The village hosts several inns and boutique hotels, tavernas, cafes, and a library. The courtyard houses that fill the village are examples of Ottoman-era architecture, and some, like the Lazaridis house, are graced with Balkan folk art.