gathered in this cave, and danced the whole night wearing disguises, under the light of the torchs.
Another good excursion that can be held from Arachova is to the Byzantine monastery of Osios Loukas, also at 10 km distance from the town, on the Western slopes of Mount Hellicon. Take into account the schedules of this monastery: it opens from 8am to 7 pm, although it closes between 2 and 4 pm during the months from May to September.
Osios Loukas has two inter-connecting churches. Agios Loukas is octagonal and hosts amazing relics, such as great Byzantine frescoes and icons by Michael Damaskinos –a famous Cretan painter from the 16th century. It also houses the tomb of saint Loukas, although his bones were sent to Rome. The wall paintings of this crypt date from the 11th century, when the monastery was built. It is also important to remember that the access is not allowed in case you are not dressed appropriately.
Finally, the stunning church of Agios Georgios can be visited during an excursion along Arachova. This church is the largest on town, and it is perched on top of its highest hill, the Afano. This is the highest inhabited area on Mount Parnassos, and the walk up from the Arachovian main street goes up through 265 steps.
The church of Agios Georgios has white plaster domes and great arches, and provides the extra advantage of hosting the festival with the same name, in which the old men of the town dress with the sme clothes their compatriots did during the war against the Ottomans, and go up the steps in a race to this church. The winner gets a lamb brought from Parnassos, and apart from praying, the festivity also includes eating, drinking, and dancing when they come back to the town. This festival starts on April 23rd, and extends over three days and nights, being the most important celebration.
These are the some of the main places in Arachova, when it comes to excursions and fun activities. If you plan a good schedule, you will be able to enjoy them all!
The town of Arachova is built on five hills of the Mount Parnassos. These are: Koumoula, Kountrouli, Sfalaki, Agios Georgios, and Afano, the highest inhabited area of this mount. This relief, added to the great features of this area, makes it suitable for performing many interesting activities. One of them is skiing, for which an excursion to the ski centre of Mount Parnassos can be held.
This centre is North-West of Arachova. The altitude of this location ranges between the 1.600 and 2.300m, and it has twenty tracks of 14 km total length, being the biggest and best-organised in Greece when it comes to this sport. It has two sections: the first one was built in 1976 and is called ‘Fterolaka’, while a few years later the other started to operate. The newer section is called ‘Kellaria’, which means ‘cellars’. Finally, around 1987 and 1988, the connection lift between both of them was inaugurated. Fterolaka has two tele-skies, and three chair-lifts, among other sport facilities. This section has also a cliff on the side of the mountain that is ideal for walking and trekking. Regarding Kelleria, it offers a self-service restaurant and a cafe-bar, apart from three sets of three chair-lifts and a ski-lift for four.
The centre has also ski schools and gives training courses for all levels, from novice to expert, and counts on shops that provide all the necessary equipment and clothing. These facilities operate every day, and offer low-price tickets.
The beautiful nature of Arachova and its surrounding areas make it possible to perform other activities that can be taken into account when planning excursions as well, like hiking on the hills, cycling, and parasailing. Another good option is to camp in the forest. During the hot summer months, the great beaches of Itea, Atikira and Galaxidi can be visited from this town. They are at approximately 25 km far.
| National Park of Mt. Parnassos |
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The National Park of Parnassos extends for 36 million square metres and constitutes an ideal trekking area. It is an unusual natural reserve with hundreds of rare species of flora and fauna, some of which are considered as highly endangered species and are protected by international conventions. It was created in 1938 and belongs to both public and private sectors.
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