Kalpaki, Ioannina

Kalpaki (Greek: Καλπάκι) is a former municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it has been part of the municipality Pogoni, of which it is a municipal unit. It is situated about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Ioannina, and southwest of Konitsa. The municipal unit has an area of 116.756 km2, and the community 13.189 km2. The EO20 road connects Kalpaki with Ioannina and Konitsa. The EO22 connects Kalpaki with Kakavia, the border crossing into southern Albania.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Kalpaki is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):

• Kalpaki (Kalpaki, Lioumpa)
• Ano Ravenia
• Chrysorrachi
• Doliana (Doliana, Agios Georgios Dolianon)
• Geroplatanos
• Kato Ravenia
• Mavrovouni
• Negrades

History

In the interwar period, the site of Kalpaki was a cluster of a few straw huts used by people working their fields on the plain. After 1945, its location as a road intersection for north–eastern and south–western routes attracted inhabitants to settle and work. Thus following the Second World War, Kalpaki replaced Doliana, located among hilly terrain as a regional centre, due in part to its accessibility on the Doliana plain.

On January 7th, 02:00am UTC, an IF2 ranked tornado hit Kalpaki, Greece. The tornado destroyed a poultry farm, killing tens of thousands of chickens. The tornado also significantly damaged two other buildings, both of which had partially collapsed walls. A church, watchtowers and other structures were also damaged. This would become one of the worst tornadoes in Europe in 2026.

Demographics

The majority of inhabitants are Sarakatsani. These include former transhumant pastoralists, as well as those who previously lived in mountainous villages like Elafotopos in Zagori before settling in Kalpaki during the 1970s and 1980s.

See also

• List of settlements in the Ioannina regional unit