Kalymnos Castle of Chora

Location: Chorio

Perched on the steep slopes of Mount Prophitis Ilias, opposite Chryssocheria Castle, the medieval Castle of Chora encloses a fortified settlement that used to be the island’s capital town up until the 19th century. Built at an altitude of 255 meters, it affords a unique glimpse into Kalymnos’ history, as well as magnificent views of the island and the deep blue sea.

The location of Chora (or Chorio as locals call it) was first fortified in the 11th century, when the island still formed part of the Byzantine Empire and Turkish incursions meant that the coastal settlements were under constant threat. In its current form, though, it dates from the 1490s, when the Knights of Saint John repaired and extended the castle after it was heavily damaged by a tremendous earthquake.

The castle-town is enclosed by formidable crenelated walls that follow the layout of the rugged hill, reaching a maximum height of 6-7 meters on the sides which were more exposed to enemy attacks and 3 meters around the more precipitous slopes. As the fortifications have been constructed with the same kind of stone as the one that covers the hill, they harmoniously blend with the landscape and are hard to discern from afar.

The main entrance is located on the southwestern side and used to be defended by a drawbridge. The densely-built settlement on the inside covered an overall surface of around 30,500 square meters and could house an average of 1,200 inhabitants. In the early 19th century, however, when the population began to grow and the threat of pirate raids had faded, people began to move to other locations, and the castle-town of Chora was gradually abandoned.

Inside the enceinte, one can still see the remnants of the old stone-built houses and ten relatively well-preserved chapels with worn frescoes dating from the 15th and the 16th centuries. Other surviving buildings include an oil mill and two cisterns, as well as a tower rising at the center of the eastern wall.

To get to the castle, visitors need to follow an uphill trail with 235 steps, which starts at Pothia and leads up to the main gate. Though the hike can be strenuous, the views along the way are definitely rewarding.