The national holiday weekend of October 28th is now just a few days away and will give you the right opportunity for a short excursion, which will help if anything to change performances. If you are in a dilemma, about which of the beautiful places in Greece to visit, keep reading to find five suggestions for a highly rejuvenating trip focusing on the Peloponnese.
Peloponnese: A variety of experiences in short getaways
Kalavrita, Achaia
Kalavryta is the area where you will fully enjoy your visit whenever you visit it. The verdant natural landscape, which you will see flooded with fir trees, will leave you completely impressed. Vouraikos Gorge creates a literally fairytale setting that you should not miss the opportunity to hike to enjoy the wild beauty of its rocks. Otherwise, book a ticket for the cogwheel and live the experience of the unforgettable route. Continue exploring even just outside the city to meet the Cave of the Lakes, a landscape full of stalactites and stalagmites that is sure to impress you. Apart from nature, history also makes its dynamic appearance in the city of Kalavryta. Visit the Holocaust Museum to learn about the complete destruction of the city during the Nazi occupation. Also, do not forget to visit the unique area of the monastery of Mega Spilaio with the rocks as its background, but also of Agia Lavra, which is inextricably linked to the history of the struggle for independence.
Mega Spilaio
How to get to Kalavryta: From the city of Athens you will need to drive total 190 km for about two and a half hours. Get the national road from Athens toward Patras and exit after 145km. Then turn for Kalavryta and drive for another 45km and you are there.
Peloponnese: Nafplio, Argolida
Nafplio, the former capital of the Greek state, is another excursion destination that is definitely worth visiting. Palamidi is waiting for you to reach its top and enjoy the view of the horizon either in the easy way of a car or by climbing its thousand steps. Then take the small boat that will take you right to the famous Bourtzi. The castle of the Venetian era, where you will find yourself, will give you a panoramic view of Nafplio that will surely be unforgettable. Let your steps lead you through the narrow streets of the city to discover the breadth of beauty of its bougainvillea-blooming landscape. Choose one of the picturesque taverns that you will see in front of you to recharge your batteries and continue exploring the museums and churches of the area. Do not take the way back unless you walk the one-kilometer path of Arvanitia. Your final destination may be that of Acronafplia, but the tranquility that the route will exude is what ultimately counts.
Palamidi
How to get to Nafplio: Nafplio is about 139 km from Athens and you can get there driving around 2 hours.
Peloponnese: Dimitsana, Arcadia
The beautiful town of Dimitsana will completely enchant you with its picturesque scenery. Proclaimed as a preserved settlement, you will find diffuse elements of tradition in the atmosphere, with the stone-built paths that run through it, but also the amphitheatrical houses made of stone with wonderful tiled roofs. The ecclesiastical museum, the former residence of Patriarch Gregory V, the popular clock of the village with the weight of its bell approaching one ton, as well as the water power museum on the outskirts, are just some of the attractions that need to become stops of your trip. If you are a lover of hiking, remember that Dimitsana is the starting point of the routes to the unique gorge of Lousios. Follow one of these routes to enjoy its impressive natural environment, but also the opportunity to paddle in its waters.
The famous clock of Dimitsana
How to get to Dimitsana: To visit the traditional settlement of Dimitsana, you will to drive 203 km from Athens, for about two and a half hours.
Peloponnese, Trikala of Korinth
Trikala of Korinth is undoubtedly the place to travel, since in its wider area, you will have the opportunity to tour three places in total that compose them. Kato Trikala will welcome you at an altitude of 900 meters in an absolutely picturesque setting that will charm you. The center of the settlement could only be its stone-built square, surrounded by taverns and cafes with a very traditional character and permanent residents of two plane trees that count several centuries of life. Do not forget to visit the Church of Saint Demetriou, with its unique frescoes that will surely leave you impressed. At an altitude of 1000 meters, Mesaia Trikala makes its appearance. Made primarily of stone and wood, tradition holds the first role here. While you are in Mesaia Trikala, make a stop to see the monastery of Panagia which has been standing in the area for three centuries. Ano Trikala comes to complete the landscape with an altitude that reaches 1100 meters. The green environment with the dense vegetation of fir and mulberry trees creates such a landscape that will really make you fall in love with it. Move towards mountainous Corinthia to meet the unique scenery of Lake Doxa. A walk or a bike ride in this fairytale setting is enough to enchant you.
Lake Doxa
How to get there: Trikala of Korinth is only 142 km from Athens.
Peloponnese, Stemnitsa, Arcadia
Stemnitsa, the noble village, as it is called, of Arcadia is the place you will find extending at an altitude of more than a thousand meters while dense vegetation will spread around it with flowering chestnut and cherry trees completing its landscape. Climb its narrow paths to gaze at the stunning slopes of the mountain. Do not stop until you reach the "Mother of Water", the spring that supplies water to the whole village. From this unique point, you will see the whole settlement stretching out in front of you. If you love hiking, follow the road to the monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, Although today it stands in ruins, its iconostasis made of wood masterpieces, as well as the hagiographies of past centuries that adorn it, will surely leave you impressed.
How to get there: The densely planted village of Stemnitsa is about 220 km away from the city of Athens, and about two hours to drive.
The Peloponnese is endowed with cities and villages that take your breath away with their beauty. Plan for one of them and get ready for your next trip.
