Achaea
Achaea General Information
Achaea is an ancient province on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, stretching from the mountain ranges of Erymanthus and Cyllene on the south to a narrow strip of fertile land on the north, bordering the Gulf of Corinth. Achaea today has about one-third of its peninsula's inhabitants and two-thirds of Achaea living in the Patra area which is the capital of Achaea and the Peloponnese. It is also the third largest city in Greece excluding Piraeus. Achaea comprises of numerous beautiful towns and picturesque villages, while the lovely beaches are ideal for swimming and relaxation with crystal clear waters. For the lovers of winter holidays there is the ski center of Helmos, situated 15kms away from Kalavryta.
Towns & Sights
Patra,
the
capital of the prefecture, is the largest of all towns in the
Peloponnese and is also the second busiest port in Greece, after the
port of Piraeus in Athens. As well as offering travelers the
opportunity to travel to the famous Ionian Islands, it also offer
routes to Italy.
Visitors to Patra can enjoy some of the interesting museums (the Patras
Archaeological Museum and the Museum for the Sacrifice of the people of
Kalavrita) and sights (Psilalonia Square) in the town, as well as it's
parks and squares.
The Archaea Clauss
Factory, located just southeast of Patra, is a very
interesting place to visit. It is the headquarters of the oldest winery
in Greece located in a Bavarian-style castle. The factory was founded
in 1861 by Gustav Clauss, and tours to the factory show you around the
wine-making process, where you can also see the barrels of Mavrodhafni,
a centuries old red wine that was named after the woman that Clauss
wanted to marry. You will also have the opportunity to sample and
purchase the wines made here.
Kalavryta
is famous for developments that occurred on the 21 March 1821. It was
near here that Archbishop Germanos called for the beginning of the War
of Independence.
The monastery of
Agia Lavra was built in 961 AD, on Helmos Mountain, at an
altitude of 961 meters, and can be described as the symbolic
birth-place of modern Greece. It stands as one of the oldest
monasteries in the Peloponnese. It was burnt down by the Nazis, and
many of the inhabitants were martyred in 1943 on the suspicion of
harboring resistance fighters. The monastery has since been rebuilt and
also has a small historical museum.
The
Diakopto-Kalavryta Railway was built by Italian engineers
between 1885 and 1895. This railway journey is one of the most
spectacular in Greece, and offers beautiful scenes and imagery as it
passes through various tunnels and narrow mountain gorges. At each of
the two stations, you can see the original steam engines that
originally made the journies.
Aigio
is one of the oldest cities in Greece and the Balkans. It is surrounded
by trees in the north and cliffs in the northwest. In 2000, the ancient
city of Helike (sometimes called "The Lost Atlantis") was discovered:
it had been buried by an earthquake and tsunami in 373 B.C.
Archeologists are now excavating the site every summer.
Achaea History
In Ancient Roman times the name of the province of Achaea was given to
the whole of Greece, except Thessaly, most of Epirus, and Acarnania. It
was conquered and incorporated into the Roman Empire in the year 146 BC.
After the reign of Augustus the province of Achaea was combined with
Macedonia from the years 15 until 44, coinciding with the frontier
troubles.
Roman control over Achaea was firm until the reign of Diocletian in the
late 3rd century, yet it remained a Roman province and later a
Byzantine one.
In the 13th century the Principality of Achaea was founded in Greece
after the Fourth Crusade.
The Principality of Achaea fell to the Ottoman Empire in the mid-15th
century. The area was later invaded by the Venetians in the late-16th
and the 17th centuries and later invaded by the Ottomans again.
In 1821, it became part of Greece. During the Greek War of
Independence, Aigio was the first city to be liberated by the Greeks
and several villages days after as well as the city of Patras.
July 2007 Achaea was struck by several forest fires, including in
Dervenakia on July 18, and in Patras on July 19 and again several days
later. The heatwave that had spread throughout the southern and the
southeastern parts of the continent brought fire to the prefecture
which spread to several villages south of Aigio including Mavriki,
Paraskevi, Kounina, Pteri, Mamoussia and several more within the
Selinountas valley and another in the northeastern slopes of the
Panachaiko. Flames were towering as high as 50 m in altitudes as high
as 1,200 m, seen as far as 70 to 80 km away.
