Mountainous Arcadia: 5 villages out of a fairy tale!

Five villages with special style: the cosmopolitan Dimitsana, the fir-covered Vytina, the noble Stemnitsa, the medieval aura of Karytaina and the serene Greek...Discover them!

Dimitsana

The gunpowder warehouse of the liberation struggle of 1821 that was transformed into one of the top destinations of Arcadia with traditional guesthouses and stylish cafes.

Built at an altitude of 1000 meters, overlooking part of the gorge of Lousios River and the mountain peaks of Mainalo, a large village that flourished from the 16th century onwards, played an important role in the revolution of 1821 by supplying the fighters with gunpowder. In 1978 it was declared a Preservable Traditional Settlement and gradually began to pass into modern history as one of the most popular mountain destinations. Dimitsana is one of the most picturesque and at the same time cosmopolitan villages of Arcadia and beautiful winter – summer, especially in winter when the fir forest is painted dark green. Enjoy a coffee or hot drink in the central square before you start exploring the alleys of the village!

Stone-built houses with tiled roofs and visible signs of time have taken care to preserve the traditional style. Climb up to the "Kastro" area, the Acropolis of the ancient city of Tefthis, at the top of the village, the city is no longer preserved except some remains of its wall, to enjoy the view from even higher... Visit the Library of the School of Dimitsana, with its 35,000 volumes, including many rare books, patriarchal sigils, sultan firmans as well as the shrine with the bones of Old Patron Germanos, as well as the Ecclesiastical Museum housed in the house of Patriarch Gregory V.

The clock of Agia Kyriaki also deserves your attention as it made a long way to reach the village since it is a gift of the Dimitsanites of New York while the stone bell tower that hosts it was created by Tinian marble sculptors or the Open-Air Water Power Museum, which you can comfortably go and walk. Here you will discover how older generations used the power of water to produce flour and gunpowder, to process leather, etc. If you like hiking from here start the trails to the gorge of Lousios... Discover it!

Vytina

One of the most famous villages of Arcadia, Vytina is famous for its traditional style, the very green that surrounds it and for the good meat. It is built at an altitude of 1033 meters on the outskirts of Mainalo and in winter it is visited by many domestic tourists for a weekend in the tranquility of nature. In the center of the village is the Holy Church of Ag. Tryphon, built in 1846, is the tireless guardian of Vytina and is worth visiting by stealing some of your time as well as the Folklore Museum, also in the square, with agricultural, logging and livestock tools, looms, uniforms, photographic material etc.

Coffee in the village square for relaxation and hazing is the most humble thing you can do, but if you are more active, you can explore the nearby and the more distant beauties of the area, such as walking on the tree-lined Road of Love with maples and plane trees, where the young men and women of Vytina of the old era took their walk meeting their future husbands for the first time or in the green Alsosaki just a few minutes away which is ideal for a shady walk...

Stemnitsa

The noble village of Tripoli: Built at an altitude of 1100 m. is really beautiful. Simple stone-built, mansions, cobbled streets, headwaters, whichever alley you choose to walk will not disappoint you. The liveliest part of the village is undoubtedly the square, full of cafes and taverns is the reference point for locals and passers-by and you should not forget to have a coffee while chatting to the elderly of the village, they are the history of the place and they will tell you a lot such as about the tradition that Stemnitsa has in metallurgy and silversmithing -in the village there is also a school of silversmithing and goldsmithing while it has workshops and shops with handmade jewelry- about how good the merchants were the locals and about the origin of the Martinos shipping family from Stemnitsa, And of course a unique and authentic orange pie worth trying!

Κarytaina

Perched on the slope of a rock at 582 m., on the top of which dominates a Frankish castle of the 13th century. Karytaina which differs somewhat from the rest of the villages of mountainous Arcadia as the passage of the Franks from there has given the village a medieval aura with narrow cobbled streets, old stone houses, a few arches and a small roof, every step in Karytaina is a beautiful mixture of Frankish, Byzantine and traditional architecture. To get to know the village you want to have an appetite for walking. Start from the medieval castle that overlooks the whole area and is built of building materials of ancient Vrenthi that existed in the same place.It is over 110 meters long and over 40 meters wide, while its walls are 7 meters high and 2 meters wide. Continue by choosing one of the alleys of Karytaina and enjoy the stone mansions that stand proudly over time. Before you go out to explore outside the village there are some churches that really deserve your attention such as the royal style church of Zoodochos Pigi built in the 14th to 15th century, with the special, with Frankish elements, bell tower, the beautiful Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos, surrounded by tall cypress trees and with beautiful frescoes inside and the church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in the center of the village where the Gospel of Kolokotronis is kept 1811.

Elliniko

A clean and peaceful village from the mountainous destinations of Arcadia, Elliniko is ideal for relaxed and relaxing weekends. Between Stemnitsa and Karytaina at an altitude of 720 m, full of stone, two-storey mansions and simple, simple houses, all of them neat and cared for and with stone cobbled streets connecting the neighborhoods with each other.