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22 July 2020

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Mountainous Villages Arcadia

In October, we visited the picturesque villages of Arcadia.

Our first stop was the village of Stemnitsa. The village is built on the slopes of Mount Mainalo, near River Lousios and has about 200 residents. In the village we met with Victoria, who proudly spoke about the area’s rich tradition in gold and silver smithery, which was developed during the Turkish domination. At that time, Stemnitsa evolved into a major hub for metallurgy and its -mostly itinerant- craftsmanship.

Soon thereafter, we got introduced to Maggie, the owner of a store that was selling traditional local products. Maggie spoke with a lot of enthusiasm about the local land’s products, as well as the local delicacies and a large variety of one of my most favorite products… HONEY.

I enjoyed exploring the different flavors and odors of this magical product, while Maggie was explaining how the favorable climate and the quality of the soil affect the flavor of the nectar in the flowers, and thus the honey, too.

 

The next day we visited the village of Dimitsana, an area, that gained its fame during the fight for Independence due to the production of gunpowder. A gunpowder mill is still preserved and forms part of the open air water museum. The museum presents the basic pre-industrial techniques and the importance of water as their main source of energy for the production of various goods. It also highlights the importance of waterpower in traditional societies.

The museum area is surrounded by beautifully diverse Flora and abundant running water, a perfect setting for a stroll.  We enjoyed a trek through the Loussios gorge, starting from the hydrokinetics museum and passing by the stunning monasteries of Prodromos (St. John the Baptist) and the old Philosophos. Perched in the cliffs of the Loussios ravine, these monasteries’ location is breathtaking and one that only faith can explain.

 

WHAT WE ENJOYED:

  1. Hospitality – We enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of the local people … They were always soooo willing to help us out…
  2. Architecture

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