Alonistaina

Alonistaina is a mountain village which is far off the tourist trail. It is high up in the mountains, and with its stone-built houses with their tiled roofs and its cold water fountains it’s very much the “real deal”.

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Alonistaina is a mountain village which is far off the tourist trail. It is high up in the mountains, and with its stone-built houses with their tiled roofs and its cold water fountains it’s very much the “real deal”.

The best way to get here is on the road from Vytina which is a 10 km journey through a spectacular mountain landscape. The road does twist and turn a bit, but it’s a beautiful drive. 

As you might expect from a village in the heart of the Menalon mountains, the air is exceptionally clean and clear. In fact the air was considered so healthy that people with tuberculosis used to come here to visit the sanatoria in the area. And just to help the cure along, the village had a "fattening house" in the ground floor of today's Theoxenia, where Mr Georgios used to feed people his own butters, cheeses and jams to help them to recover. The older people still remember the time when there were nine wine cellars in the village, serving wine with a traditional chickpea snack. 

The village has a small central square with the church of Agia Paraskevi which dates from 1742. The church has some interesting icons, an elaborate iconostasis and remarkable frescos and you can see the tomb of Zambia Kotsakis, mother of Theodoros Kolokotronis who was a hero of the Greek War of Independence.  Another interesting building is the old inn with 7 fireplaces, a real "saloon" from days gone by, at the entrance of the village. You will see that most of the village buildings are made from stone worked by the famous Lagadia stonemasons and are in good condition. There are also a lot of nice walks in the area which start out from the village, and you can stop and buy some of the delicious PDO vanilla honey that is produced here.

Just outside Alonistaina, on the road to Vytina, you will find Diaselo and a signpost to the Kokkinovrysi Spring (πηγή Κοκκινόβρυση). This is a lovely walk through the unique landscapes of the Menalon mountains, and you can enjoy the healthy, clean air which once made the village famous - hence the unfinished sanatorium just up the road.

Did you know that

Alonistaina is 200 km from Athens. 

The village has traditional guesthouses, shops, and tavernas serving local cuisine.

Limbovisi
It is about 12 km away from Alonistaina, and is the home village of the Kolokotronis family which played a vital role in the Greek War of Independence. In days gone by, up to 2,000 people lived here, but the village was abandoned in 1880. If you want to brush up on your Greek history, pay a visit to the museum which is dedicated to Theodoros Kolokotronis and the 1821 War of Independence where you can see costumes, banners, poems about the war and other exhibits.  You can also see the now-derelict Kolokotronis family home and the church of Ai Giannis which dates from 1831. There is a landscaped square with running water, and from there you can follow a path that takes you on a pleasant 10-minute walk to a view point with benches and picnic tables.

After 5 km, on the road to Chrysovitsi-Tripoli, you will see the church Panagia tou Arkudorematos in the village of the same name (which incidentally means stream of the bear). The church dates back to the 17th century, and the belltower was built in 1838.

Location

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