Thursday 28th April 2022 – Dimitsana, Greece

 

The route that we chose turned out to be inspired. We came close to the Alfios River before moving away and then crossing it before climbing into the mountains. It was a wonderfully scenic drive with lots of stops to take in the views. There were just a few small villages, one of which had the remains of a watermill high up on a hill. The position of the mill was confusing – where was the water coming from? One of the locals explained that it came from a nearby village in an aqueduct and operated through the winter until June when the water dried up. Also, outside the village was a hermit’s cave, dating back to 1697, in a cliff on the side of a deep valley (see photos).
We arrived at Zatouna and Dimitsana, villages that were at the heart of the Greek war of independence against the occupying Turks in 1821. We stopped in Zatouna, had a wander around the town and then had an excellent meal in one of the tavernas. We then drove on to Dimitsana, a larger village that is the centre of tourism in the area, being very popular in both winter and summer.
We parked below the village and walked up into it. We came here many years ago and the change was stark with a huge increase in the number of hotels, B&Bs, tavernas and cafés. There were many abandoned houses when we came last time but now these are few and far between.
We drove on to a museum that we particularly wanted to see. The Open Air Hydrokinesis (water power) Museum is just outside Dimitsana and demonstrates how water power was used in Greece, especially in the mountains. However, we arrived just after it closed and so we decided to wild camp in their car park ready to go to the museum when it opened in the morning. We could see Zatouna on the hillside opposite and, below us, the famous Lousios Gorge with its monasteries set up high in the cliffs or on the edge of the gorge.

Photos: Supplies for the hermit were taken by rope across the valley to the cave; A more modern chapel with the hermit cave above it – note the wooden ladder and steps still in position; It is difficult to capture the beauty of the views but here is an example, rather hazy in the distance; A closed café in Zatouna; A narrow street in Dimitsana, much restored since we last visited.