Listed 32 sub titles with search on: Sights for wider area of: "EVIA Island GREECE" .
Photo Album in URL, information in Greek only.
Photo Album in URL, information in Greek only.
Photo Album in URL, information in Greek only.
ALIVERI (Small town) EVIA
On a rock hill, south of Aliveri, in a conspicuous and fortified place
stands, perhaps, the oldest Frankish castle in Evia.
We do not know much about the medieval history of the castle but there is a legend
that a gold emblem of the Franks lies hidden in the castle and that who ever finds
it will be very fortunate.
In the summer of 1823, the Rizokastro was occupied by the Greeks,
led by Kriezotis but in November 1823 it was re-occupied by the Turks.
The strong walls of the enciente (the northern walls are in better
condition) are preserved. In the inner fort one can find the impressive ruins
of a tall, four-sided tower. There are also the ruins of other buildings as well
as cisterns for their water supply.
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1997).
CHALKIDA (Town) EVIA
On the Viotian coast of Evia, opposite Chalkida, on a hill which overlooks
the channel of Evripus, with a wonderful view of the northern
and southern Gulf of Evia,
one can find the castle of Karababas.
The castle which stands today, was built by the Turks, during the
Venetian-Turkish war which broke out in 1684. the designer was the Venetian renegade
Gerolimos Galopo. Its architectural style is therefore European, although some
parts remind one of a Turkish castle.
In the summer of 1688, the Venetians and their allies besieged Chalkida
but the Turkish fort of arababa played a decisive role in their failure and ultimate
withdrawal.
The fort which has an irregular shape, occupies the top of the hill.
It has three ramparts and a large tower. From the eastern rampart
one has a breath taking view of Chalkida. With its cannons it controlled the channel
of Evripus, the sea walls of Chalkida with its tower. At some, of its points,
some large marble monoliths, parts of ancient columns, have been built into the
walls. Two other ramparts guard the northern and southern sides of the walls.
Inside the only building that remains standing today is the church
of the Prophet Ilias, built in 1895.
The most important fortification is the seven-sided western tower
which stands a little higher than the walls and ramparts.
Inside the tower there is vaulted corridor around the outer wall.
There follows a second seven-sided inner wall and another domed corridor. In the
centre of the seven-sided wall there is a water cistern. The corridors communicate
through arches. The whole construction of the tower gives one the impression of
a labyrinth. No other castle in Greece
has this kind of architectural style.
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1997).
FYLA (Small town) CHALKIDA
It is built on the top of a steep, rocky hill in the Lilandian
plain and is visible over the whole area.
A medieval love story is associated with the castle. It belonged to
the feudal lord Merito dalle Carceri but it was conquered by the legendary knight
Likarius at the beginning of the Frankish occupation in the 13th century A.D.
and handed over to the Emperor of Byzantium Michael the seventh.Likarius deserted
the Frankish army for the sake of the beautiful widow, Feliza, and using the castle
as his base, on behalf of Byzantium, he successively occupied the Frankish castles
of Evia. When the Turks occupied
Evia in 1470, they destroyed parts of the walls to weaken its defence.
The northern and western parts of the walls are better-preserved.
As you go through the entrance on the northern side you will see the impressive
ruins of a large building which was the mansion of the lord. The mansion was two-storeyed
and there still remain on the second floor, the slits for the windows which are
vaulted and decorated with ceramic tiles in the Byzantine style. Next to the mansion
there are ruins of other buildings which served the various other purposes of
the castle.
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1997).
KARYSTOS (Town) EVIA
This is the most remarkable medieval fortification in the whole Evia.
It dominates the whole area on a hill among the villages of Miloi,
Kalivia and Grampia.
It ws built immediately after the Frankish occupation in the 1204, to house Ravano
Dalle Carceri. A whole city was gradually built round the castle as the inhabitants
of the area were in the habit of living near the castle so as to be safe from
pirates and any other kind of invasion.
During the Middle Ages, it changed hands many times (Venetians, Franks,
Byzantium) and in the summer of 1470 it fell into the hands of the Turks. A short
time before the revolution of 1821, the Turks built walls around the town which
spread outside the castle.
During the revolution there were many bloody battles in this area.
After the liberation, the town was abandoned because the inhabitants of Karistos
sought access to the sea.
From the historic castle of Karistos we can still see the foundation,
some towers and ramparts, its remarkable domed reservoirs and the ruins of Turkish
baths.
The Romans called the castle Castelo Rosso, meaning the Red Castle
because of its red stone walls.
Its walls are high and impressive. The main gate is facing south and
is invisible from the outside. To the west of the main gate, one can find the
ruins of a one-time imposing two-storey building which was probably the dwelling
place of the Lord of the castle. To the north, east and south-west, the walls
end in square, polygonal or round ramparts.
On the northern side of the castle, there is the inner fortress, the
last defence line of the castle. Inside the fortress the church of Prophet Ilias
was built and under the church floor, the Large reservoir of the fortress is hidden.
Finally, near the church of Prophet Ilias one can find the ruins of an austere-looking
church which was probably the church of Saint John of the Franks.
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1997).
AGIOS ATHANASSIOS (Village) DIRFYS
The gorge of Agali is located 1000 m. away from the village of St.
Athanassios, at the foot of Dirfi.
It has a unique wild beauty of craggy and variously coloured rocks and green clad
slopes. During spring there is crystal clear water flowing through the ravine
that formulates small cascades. Its visitor can see the brooks that violently
pass through the craggy rocks and can also see the cave Voidokleftra, which was
the dwelling of humans during the Neolithic age.
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1999).
Photo Album in URL, information in Greek only.
AMARYNTHOS (Small town) CHALKIDA
OCHI (Mountain) KARYSTIA
There are unique geological formations (cliffs, caves and natural
sculptures) as well as a system of tens of springs, brooks, torrents and currents
in Mount Ochi. The surface waters are more than usual for the Aegean Sea environment.
Mount Ochi can be easily called "the mountain of springs". In its higher eastern
side, there is the last "pure" forest of chestnut trees in southern Evia. The
hyper perennial chestnut trees of the chestnut scrub are the remnants of large
forests that once covered the whole mountain. Above this oasis, the tops of the
mountain dominated like natural fortresses. In these rocks, that are difficult
of access, lots of kinds of indigenous, plants and rare forest trees and bushes
grow like black fir trees. The area provides a shelter for mountain kinds of birds
that don't nest anywhere else in the southern part of Evia.
In Mount Ochi, there are unique, natural places full of flowers, where
Paionyes (a indigenous flower) and the indigenous kind of pansy of Evia grow.
It is also characterized as an "Important Birds Area" by the "Bird International".
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1999).
KANATADIKA (Settlement) ISTIEA
This is a lagoon in the area of Kanatadika at Istiea. It's 1.000 stremata (1 hectare or 1.000.000m2), 700 of which are brackish and the rest 300 are a kind of swampy land. Its maximum depth is 1,2m and minimum 0,5m. It is a rare natural hydrobiotopos that is ornithologicaly interesting since it's the intermediate station for migratory birds. A large part of its surface is covered by swampy vegetation such as reeds, bulrushes and water-lilies. The lakeside vegetation is covered by farming, bushes, deciduous trees and mosses. The presence of water birds, that tend to become extinct in Greece, is very important. The areas of Kanatadika, Delta Xiria and Hydrochares Dassos of Saint Nicholas, have been included in the National Catalogue of Suggested Areas in order to be placed in the Network "Natura 2000".
This text is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1999).
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