October 2026 Retreat

Paint a Byzantine Icon in the Mountains of Greece with Maria Aporelli

A slow art retreat with master iconographer Maria Aporelli — no experience needed, your own wooden icon panel to take home, and online lessons included.

From 23 to 26 October 2026, escape to the historic mountain village of Zitsa in Epirus, northwestern Greece. Under the guidance of Maria Aporelli, you will touch the ancient art of Byzantine iconography, paint your first icon using a guided paint-by-numbers method, and receive a prepared wooden panel plus online lessons to continue the traditional technique at home.

CHOOSE between a 3-day or 4-day retreat: 23–26 October 2026 or 23–25 October 2026

This is not a lecture. This is not a rushed class. This is a small-group, immersive retreat where you create, taste local wine, walk mountain paths, and leave with a finished keepsake and a new skill.

Private transfer from/to Ioannina included

Easy to Reach, Easy to Escape. Zitsa is easily accessible from both Thessaloniki and Athens, with international airports, regular bus connections and easy road access.

Arrive in Ioannina, your gateway to the retreat, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Private transfer from Ioannina to Zitsa is available, making the final 35-minute journey to the village effortless.

ALL MATERIAL INCLUDED - BEGINNER FRIENDLY

On the first day, you’ll receive a complete Icon Painting Kit to create your own icon of Saint Paisios using the Paint by Numbers technique. Canvas · 36 colours · 6 brushes · Palette

Small group - deep immersion

A deeply immersive art retreat in Epirus, Greece, surrounded by the colours of the autumn mountains, where a small group comes together to explore icon painting, creativity and the slower rhythm of rural Greece.

Your Slow Art Experience

Let's start your icon painting journey!

You Do Not Need Years of Training to Start

PAINT BY NUMBERS ICONOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

This retreat is the doorway. The online lessons are the path forward.

Your journey into the art of icon painting will continue after the retreat. Included in the retreat price is a prepared wooden panel, 20 × 30 cm, on which you can create your own icon of Saint Paisios at home, following Maria Aporelli’s online lessons, which are also included in the retreat price at no additional cost.

Byzantine iconography is one of the world’s oldest continuous artistic traditions — but the classical method takes years to master. That is why Maria Aporelli designed this retreat differently. You will begin with a paint-by-numbers icon painting session. This approachable technique lets anyone — complete beginners included — experience the flow of icon painting, understand the colors, feel the brush, and create something beautiful in just one session.
At the same time, Maria will perform live iconography demonstrations in front of the group. You see the traditional method happen in real time: the preparation, the egg tempera, the gold, the prayerful rhythm. You watch a master at work while your own hands are already learning.

By the end of the retreat, you take home:

Your own hand-painted paint-by-numbers icon of Saint Paisios icluding:

Stretched canvas featuring Saint Paisios, pre-marked with numbered sections

36 painting colours

Set of 6 brushes

Painting palette

A prepared wooden panel, ready for you to create your own icon of Saint Paisios at home, following Maria’s online lessons in the traditional Byzantine icon painting technique.

Online lessons package included in the retreat price, with Maria guiding you step by step through the traditional Byzantine icon painting method, so you can paint your own icon of Saint Paisios on your prepared panel at home.

Meet Your Teacher: Maria Aporelli

Learn from an artist devoted to the tradition of Byzantine Icon Painting.

Maria Aporelli grew up watching her father, an iconographer, bring saints to life on wood and paper. Her first icon was Saint Nicholas of Vouneni. Since then, she has created portable icons and frescoes inspired by the Cretan and Macedonian schools, and developed a personal style that honors tradition while allowing individual expression.

Today Maria is known internationally as an influencer and educator in Byzantine iconography. She is passionate about making this sacred art accessible — not locked away in monasteries, but shared with people who feel called to create. In this retreat, Maria does not just teach. She demonstrates, guides, answers your questions, and gives you the tools to continue long after you leave Greece.

Follow Maria`s journey here:

THE SETTING

THE RETREAT LOCATION: Zitsa, Epirus

Zitsa, Ioannina, Greece

A Mountain Village Made for Slow Art

During the retreat, you’ll explore Zitsa and its surroundings, visit local cultural sites, discover the village’s long tradition of engraving and winemaking, and enjoy the landscape of the Kalamas river and its historic watermills. Between your icon painting sessions, there will be time to walk, taste local wine and food, create, connect and simply take in the peaceful atmosphere of the Epirus mountains.

Zitsa sits 500–700 metres above sea level in the Ioannina region of northwestern Greece. It is a village of stone houses, vineyards, and living tradition. The local Debina grape produces some of Greece’s finest white wines. The nearby Monastery of Prophet Elias, founded in 1598, was visited by Lord Byron in 1809.
Here, time slows down. There are no crowds, no traffic, no pressure. Just clean mountain air, warm local hospitality, and the quiet focus you need to create something meaningful.

Experience the warmth of rural Greek hospitality and village life in Zitsa, Epirus, surrounded by vineyards, mountains and the quiet beauty of the Greek countryside. Step away from the busy tourist routes and slow down in a place where life still follows the rhythm of the seasons. Start your mornings with fresh mountain air and Greek coffee, wander through the village, meet local people and enjoy the simple pleasures of authentic rural Greece.

THE SETTING

Discover Rural Greece: An Icon Painting Retreat in the Mountains of Epirus

In autumn, the landscape comes alive with rich colours, crisp mountain air and the slower rhythm of village life — the perfect setting for four days of art, culture, nature and immersion in rural Greece.

FOR SOLO TRAVELERS

Your Solo Art Retreat in Greece

A unique solo travel experience in Greece: learn the ancient art of Byzantine icon painting, connect with like-minded people, and discover the authentic beauty of mountainous rural Epirus.

Whether this is your first time travelling solo to Greece or you’ve already fallen in love with the country, get ready to experience it in a completely different way. Leave the usual tourist trails behind and head deep into the mountains of rural Epirus. Spend your days learning the ancient art of Byzantine icon painting, creating your own icon, meeting fascinating people, sharing unforgettable moments and discovering a side of Greece that most travellers never get to see. Come on your own. Leave with a story worth telling.

Slow Travel, Real Impact

Sustainability comes first.

This retreat is created around the principles of Slow Travel Greece — travelling with respect for local communities, the environment and the planet. By joining us, you’re not simply visiting Epirus. You’re supporting the people, places and traditions that make it special. We choose local, seasonal food, ethical consumption and locally rooted experiences, while keeping emissions and unnecessary travel to a minimum. We work with local people and businesses, source locally whenever possible, and believe that tourism should give back to the communities it visits. Because travelling slowly means more than taking your time. It means leaving a positive trace.

INCLUSIVE IN THE RETREAT

What Is Included

Everything You Need to Create, Explore, and Relax

Private transfer from/to Ioannina
Twin-room accommodation in a family-run hotel in Zitsa
All meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Paint-by-numbers icon kit: canvas, colors, brushes
Two days of live iconography with Maria Aporelli
Liquid glass jewellery workshop with natural local elements
Visit to the Engraving Gallery of Zitsa
Visit to the Folklore Museum of Zitsa
Guided wine tasting at an awarded local winery
A prepared wooden panel for your traditional icon of Saint Paisios
Online lessons from Maria Aporelli to continue at home

Choose Your Retreat: Choose between a 3-day or 4-day retreat.

3 Days · 2 Nights 23–25 October 2026

€470 23–25 October 2026

4 Days · 3 Nights 23–26 October 2026

€590 23–26 October 2026

Taste Village Life, Breathe Oxygen, and Create

GETTING HERE

Iannina, your gateway to the retreat, is accessible from two international airports: From Thessaloniki: 261 km (3 hours drive) From Athens: 411 km (4, 5 drive) From Ioannina, we’ll pick you up for the scenic 28 km drive (35 minutes) to Zitsa.

Travel Options to Ioannina
Sustainable & affordable: Regular local bus services connect both airports to Ioannina. Check schedules from Thessaloniki and Athens here
By car: Rent a vehicle for complete flexibility
Private transfer: We can arrange airport pickup upon request for an extra fee

Effie Papadopoulou

your host

Email Me

[email protected]

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I’m Effie Papadopoulou, founder of Slow Travel Greece, and I’ll be your host throughout this retreat. While Maria guides you through iconography, I’m here to take care of everything else—answering questions, coordinating logistics, and making sure you feel at home in Zitsa. I’m your contact point for whatever you need, so you can focus completely on your creative journey.