Our vision

At the time of the Byzantine Empire the title “porphyrogenitos” (born in purple) was granted to the sons or daughters of the Emperor, when they were born in a pavilion in the imperial palace of Constantinopel. The walls, floors and ceiling of these buildings were inlaid with Porphyry, a precious purple-colored rock from Egypt.

Today, no one anymore is “born in purple”, but definitely there are still people who have slept in purple! They found the road to Ano Pedina, a small village in the Zagori. Here they enjoyed a stay at Hotel Porfyron, the purple house.

Guests at this small attractive hotel are pampered by hosts Yiannis and Rita Kirligitsis-Berends. The day begins with a rich and unsurpassed breakfast. Then they go to explore the Zagori, with its breath taking mountains and valleys, beautiful nature, the natural wonder of the Vikos Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. Evening at Porfyron starts with enjoying the special cuisine of Yiannis: pure local fresh produce from the market in Ioaninna or even better directly from farmers in the area. After that you enjoy the soft evening with a glass of delicious wine. Followed by a quiet and wonderful sleep. Your head will be empty, thoughts will float. Come to a perfect rest. This is how life should be. You could call our guests ‘porphyrogenitoi’: the chosen ones who have stayed in Porfyron.

But our vision – philosophy does not allow to keep things to ourselves. We want to share it all with you. Therefore you will find a variety of recipes from Yiannis in this website.

You can find them here