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| Kalavrita |
| The ski resort of the Peloponese |
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| The Kalavryta Ski Center, near the north coast of the Peloponese. |
Kalavrita, the main ski resort of the Peloponese, is a pretty village built on the slopes of Aroanion mountain, at an altitude of 756 m (2,250 feet) right on the site of the ancient city of Kinethas.
Kalavrita is about 89 km from Patras and about 203 km west of Athens. It is a traditional village that has experienced a building boom in the last 10 years due to, mostly winter, tourism. New guesthouses, shops and restaurants have sprung up to service thousands of ski lovers who descend here every winter to enjoy the slopes of the Helmos ski center nearby.
The Helmos ski center is one of the most modern in the country, and it features a number of slopes of varying difficulty, an excellect chalet with cafe and restaurant, and a number of ski schools for beginners and more experienced skiers.
Kalavrita is about 25 km from the Corinth-Patras national road, or about an hour and a half on the traditional funicular railroad that snakes its way up the mountain slopes and valleys, from Diakofto, on the coast below. The ride is unforgettable, what with the views of the deep blue waters of the Corinth bay and the crossing of the oak, plane and pine tree forests of the mountain. Some hair-raising turns and a couple of bridges over 300 m (1,000 feet) gaps turn this trip, at times, into a slow-motion roller coaster ride.
A few miles down the road from the ski center is the Cave of the Lakes, one of the most magnificent underground caves in Greece, that houses an underground river and wonderful halls.
The Monastery of Agia Lavra near Kalavrita is one of the most important historical sites of modern Greece. It is here that the war of independence against the Ottoman Empire was launched, on 25 March 1821, and it is here that the cry "Freedom or Death", the motto of the Greek revolution, was first heard.
The modern history of Kalavrita is marked by the holocaust of the village, during the Nazi occupation, in World War II. On 9 December 1943 Nazi troops entered Kalavrita and on the morning of the 13 they ordered all male residents, aged 14 years and up, to gather in a field just outside the village. There, they machine-gunned down almost all 700 of them. Only about 13 survived.
Today, only a monument to world peace outside the village and a newly-opened Holocaust Museum remind us of these terrible wounds. The village is being transformed into a winter ski destination and a summer nature-lover's heaven. All to the good.
Texts/Photos: Christina Nathanael |
| The Highlights |
- The ski center of Helmos, which is a site of remarkable natural beauty whether you ski or not.
- The Monastery of Agia Lavra and the monastery of Mega Spilaeo.
- The furnicular railroad which will take you from Diakofto to Kalavrita and back.
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| We Recommend |
- Skiing at the ski center or just visiting it for coffee and to take in the nature views.
- Visiting the Monument of Holocaust and the new Museum of the Holocaust of Kalavrita.
- Trying the local organic products, such as the local honey and yogurt.
- Visiting the old traditional cafe on the train station of Kalavrita.
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| We Do Not Recommend |
- Coming to Kalavrita on the weekend and on holidays without having made accommodation reservations.
- Driving to the ski center without carrying tyre snow chains.
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| Useful Information |
| The country code for Greece is 0030 (from the US and Canada: 01130). |
| Police Station |
| The police station is at the central square of Kalavrita (26920 23333). For emergencie call 100. |
| Hospital |
| The hospital is about 400 m from the train station (26920 22222). For emergencies call 166. |
| Pharmacy |
| There are pharmacies in the center of the village. |
| Foreign Press Outlet |
| On the main street of Kalavrita there are a couple of foreign press outlets. |
| Bank |
| There is a National Bank of Greece branch, complete with ATM, at the central square of Kalavrita. |
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