Here's an ultramodern winery in the area of Stymphalia lake that produces Agiorgitiko-grape wines such as the premium Strofilia versions or the competitively-priced Oktana.
Only 800 meters from the ruins of Ancient Nemea, the Palivou Estate is a small and hospitable winery established in the family owned vineyard. Visit the cellar where the 300 French and American oak barrels are located. (All year round)
Originally built in 1582 by the monks Neilos and Dyionisios, the main part of the church is a large, three-aisled basilica with a round dome: its north aisle is dedicated to the Well of Life, the middle aisle to the Holy Cross and the south aisle to Saint John the Baptist. The Monastery, which took its current form in 1838, is famous for its distinctive carved iconostasis, which was painted by artisans from Chios in 1854, and an impressive pulpit. Among the collection of religious relicts of the monastery is the fragment of the Holy Cross.
The fertile soil of the area inspired Panos Lantides to cultivate delicate grape varieties, using local grapes such as Agiorgitiko, Malagouzia, Moschofilero and Assyrtiko, as well as French varieties. Delicious wines!
Beyond the local Agiorgitiko grape variety, the grapes produced here are sublime and the Lafkiotis Winery has many varieties to prove it.
At an altitude of 210 meters, 3km to the southeast of Karlovasi, hikers can follow a mild path to reach the monastery. The church of the monastery, built in 1739 by the monks Grigorios and Theofilos, replaced what was earlier a small chapel and few chambers. The Monastery has some attractive frescoes, an ornate marble floor featuring a depiction of Adam and Eve, and a carved wooden iconostasis.
A small but well kept church founded in 1823. In its temple there is a depiction of the mournering Virgin Mary embracing the crucified Lord, instead of the infant Jesus Christ, as is customarily depicted in Greek churches. There is also an old icon of Christ dating from the 18th century. Monastic cells are built the southern, western and northern sides of the monastery complex. This convent, which today only houses one nun, once housed up to 30 nuns.
Built around 1833 on Kastro hill, west of Pythagorio town, the church was an initiative of one of the island’s leading figures in the Greek Revolution, Lykourgos Logothetis, in memory of the saviour of Samos against the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Mikali in August 1824. The church was built in the style of a basilica with a domed roof, and has an impressive marble iconostasis and pulpit from the early 20th century. It has been declared a historical monument.
On the road leading to the waterfalls at the Karlovasi River, you’ll come across the pre-Christian era church known as Panayia Potamou (the Virgin of the River), which was built over an older church in the 13th Century BC. In its interior you’ll find Corinthian columns holding up the roof. The monument / church’s location makes it an even more enticing find, as it’s set in an idyllic landscape of thick riverside vegetation.
One of the island’s most picturesque and scenic monasteries, with several lovely frescoes, was the first monastery to be founded, in 1566, by the two monks Iakovos and Makarios. It overlooks the shoreline of Asia Minor and is built within a tranquil woodland, near the village of Vourliotes, at an altitude of 458m.