In the picturesque village of Karitena lies a Frankish castle since the days when the Franks took over the region from the Byzantines, around 1209. Under the Franks the town was given to Hugo de la Bruyeres, who built the castle on a hilltop in 1245 and gave it to his son Geoffrey. The castle is sometimes referred to as the Toledo of Greece for its strategic location right at the entrance to the Alpheios Gorge. Greek hero Tehodore Kolokotronis made use of this during the revolution against the Ottomans. While the castle is not in the best condition and is not always open to the public, a snoop around its walls can be enchanting.
