Metsovo stands on the line dividing Northern from Southern Pindus, and can be considered the source of Greece’s rivers, as the Aoos, Arachthos, Acheloos and Peneios all start here. Metsovo itself is built at an altitude of 1200 metres in the prefecture of Ioannina and the region of Valia Calda, which means ‘Hot Valley’ in the local Vlach dialect. The mountain is named after a prince of Macedon; when the young Pindos was found dead on its slopes after a hunt, the mountain was named after him to honour his memory. In ancient times, Pindos was a sacred mountain dedicated to Apollo and the Muses.

The National Park is home to extensive forests of black pine (Pinus nigra) and oak (Fagus sylvatica) between 1000 and 1600 metres. At higher altitudes, only the Compact Gem Bosnian Pine (Pinus leudodermis) is hardy enough to survive—indeed, this coniferous tree that can withstand the most extreme cold could be considered a living natural monument. The National Park is crisscrossed by a network of small gullies and features a number of small lakes, the largest of which are at Avgo (1600 metres) and Flegga (2 lakes at 1950 metres).

The visitor can also enjoy the wild beauty of the National Park from their car, following the road from Metsovo to Milia and Grevena and the roads to Greveniti, Flambourari and Vovousa.