An exciting and relaxing driving experience in a refined automobile Discover Greece with a local expert.
An exciting and relaxing driving experience in a refined automobile.
We leave quite early to avoid morning traffic. We're heading to mountainous Arcadia, and we've already decided that our first stop will be in Vytina for our first coffee at Kapnopoileio. A new and beautiful establishment that comes to differentiate the classic concept of square cafes by offering quality coffee, tasty baguettes, and as the day progresses, imaginative cocktails and drinks.
The Journey Begins: Vytina
We're driving the refined Peugeot 2008, an SUV that knows how to attract attention while simultaneously providing comfort and safety on the journey. The EAT8 automatic gearbox offers a comfortable trip, combining high performance with low consumption, especially when working with Peugeot's top and environmentally friendly BlueHDi diesel engine.
It's almost 9 in the morning, and we've already approached Vytina. We make a stop at the roadside and have the unique opportunity to see the settlement of Kamenitsa emerging through a cloud of fog. We take some photographs and return to the Peugeot 2008.
Walking in Vytina's central square, as we mentioned, it's Monday morning and movement is limited. We make a brief first stop at the traditional wood-fired oven and taste a fluffy cheese pie, while afterward we enjoy a hot coffee at the tables located on the small sidewalk across from Kapnopoileio. Our meeting with Lambros Papalambros from Vitina Trekking proves crucial for the continuation of the day, as with him we'll follow some of the area's most beautiful trails, while today's first day's program includes a visit to the Sfyrida hermitage, located under an enormous rock within a fir forest.
Discovering Mountain Traditions
Before we've even started all this, we take a silversmithing lesson as we visit Vytinoyrgies, in the narrow street between the square's ATMs. Walking through the settlement confirms in our minds the characterization of it as lordly and serene. It ideally combines its cobblestone streets, beautiful stone mansions, historic churches with first among them that of Agios Tryfon in the central square built in 1846, the folklore museum, and many more historical monuments within breathing distance.
Monastery Visits
Next to Vytina lies the settlement of Nymfasia, through which we pass with the aim of reaching the monastery of Panagia Kernitsa. We make a small stop in the square where the well-known Panagopoulos taverna is also located. We've put it on our list of places we'd like to visit anyway, as it's famous for delicious cooked dishes, fresh salads, and daily specials.
We head toward the historic Kernitsa monastery, which was founded in 1116 and owes its name to the homonymous medieval city inhabited by Slavs. Today it's a women's monastery, which until 1833 was under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, even enjoying significant privileges. During Turkish rule, it's said a "secret school" operated here.
Dimitsana: Stone Architecture and History
The next day finds us in Dimitsana, one of Arcadia's most beautiful villages, with traditional architecture, beautiful and atmospheric guesthouses, hospitable shops, and of course the beautiful view toward the Lousios River gorge. We spend considerable time taking walks through the settlement and admiring the tower houses and mansions, as they are positioned on the two hills the settlement extends across. We walk on the stone-paved cobblestones, stand in corners and contemplate the decades that have passed and the stories these walls have heard. We visit the historic library with truly rare editions and the ecclesiastical museum created in the house of Patriarch Gregory V.
We go down to the market and enjoy a stop at the beautiful Ta Pano Kato, and then we're ready for an excursion to the PIOP Waterpower Museum located a breath away from the village entrance. We're guided through the space, which constitutes an excellent example of the development of pre-industrial technology. We follow the water flow, initially observing the water mill and flour mill, while then descending to the remaining levels we enter the tannery, and finally the gunpowder mill, where in the years of the Revolution Dimitsana played an enormous role in gunpowder supply.
Through Fir Forests to Limovisi
We drive the Peugeot 2008 through the fir forest and from Elati head toward Limovisi. Nature is magical, the images appearing before us are indelibly etched in our minds, with the tall trees often covering the road so we can't see the sky. As we climb, we even encounter snow remaining here from the last storm.
We arrive in Limovisi, an abandoned village at 1,200 meters altitude. Theodoros Kolokotronis originated from here, with his family living here for 12 generations, and we visit his paternal home, while right next door, in a restored building, operates the Kolokotronis family museum. In the village also operates a cafe, which in winter is usually open from Friday to Sunday, while in summer more days of the week.
We get into the Peugeot 2008 and continue our routes in this beautiful place in the center of the Peloponnese. Unique for its category is the equipment level it possesses. It's dynamic, distinctive in appearance, technologically advanced, and certainly can fulfill all your ambitions. Worth driving.
Common Questions
How do I get here from Athens?
Most destinations covered on this site are 2 to 4 hours from Athens by car. I always recommend renting a car rather than joining a bus tour — you control your stops, you can pull over when something looks interesting, and the drive itself is often half the experience in Greece.
What is the best time to visit?
April to June is my personal preference — the wildflowers are out, the crowds haven't arrived, and the light is extraordinary. September and October are equally good. Summer is beautiful but you'll share it with everyone else. Winter is underrated and deeply local.
