02/28/2020
HOME » Travel and Leisure:Destination Tips
Mountain Villages of Arkadia
By Roberta Mark Engel
Expert Author Roberta Mark Engel
Are you interested in a more in depth tour of Arkadia, Greece? Come with us as we tour from Athens and travel through Agios Petros, Vasta, Megalopoli, Sitaina, Kastanitsa, Demitsana and Stemnitsa for "The Mountain Villages of Arkadia" Tour.
First, we will purchase cheese at Agiopetriko in Agios Petros. The village contains a hotel, tavernas with local specialties, general stores, bakeries and delicious local sweets. Agios Petros is mainly visited by pilgrims going to the top the Holy Monastery of Malevi and has approximately 1, 000 inhabitants and is at an altitude of 900 m. It belongs to the municipality of Northern Kinouria and it is 37 kilometers from Tripoli.
Did you know that Megalopoli is a town on the western part of Arkadia? It was founded in 371 BC. It is 30 kilometers from Tripoli. In Byzantine and Ottoman times, the city was known as Sinanou until the 19th century. It was the first urbanization in the primitive Arkadia. It has quite an upscale caffineo which will be great for afternoon relaxation. In addition, Sitaina has a Byzantine Church worth a peak.
Kastanista was built two hundred and fifty years ago so it is worth a view. We had chestnuts and tea in a caffineou which is built on the slopes of Mount Pamon and is surrounded by fir, chestnut, pine and plane trees. It is a settlement with narrow stone-paved streets, whitewashed and carefully tended houses. It was unusual, but most enjoyable. Kastanitsa is a complete mountain settlement, is at an elevation of 840 meters. Lunch was in a wonderful old village, the oldest village of Tsakonia dating back from 1293 A.D. The cobblestone alleys are mixed with the very tall stone towers and the other castle-like houses. At the center of the village is the church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior which stands out. It was built 250 years ago! Around the village you can count 20 chapels. The famous feast if the "Feast of the Chestnut" every year in the last week of October. It is on the road to Agios Andreas and coming from Astros. Kastanitsa has wonderful quaint hotels. Most in the main town were recently renovated or new. I am sure that you will enjoy the evening also. You will wake up to beautiful mountain air.
Demitsana and Stemnitsana are enjoyable villages. I am amazed at the undisturbed wilderness. Wintertime in the mountains is especially majestic especially in Demitsana and Stemnitsana.
We hope you enjoyed the "Mountain villages of Arkadia". Each village had its own special feeling. You have walked in our steps through Agios Petros, St. Theodora in Vasta, Megalopoli, Sitaina, Kastanitsa, Demitsana and Stemnitsa.
Article Source:
I retired in 2005, after serving United Teachers Los Angeles. I also taught in the Compton, Culver City, El Segundo, and Lawndale school districts before spending 32 years working for Los Angeles Unified School District as a classroom teacher. Since I was dedicated to my students' progress, I create...
