ABOUT ARACHOVA

Arachova is a mountainous village nestling picturesquely at the foot of Mt. Parnassos in Viotia, Southern Greece. It is located 35 km west of Livadeia.Arachova is undoubtedly the queen of Parnassos. It is built in an amphitheatric way and it spreads magnificently to the south hillsides of Parnassus, at an altitude of 960 meters, ending up at a cliff where Pleistos river flows. It is the most cosmopolitan winter destination in Greece, a great favourite for passionate ski lovers and celebrities, or just first-time visitors who wish to relax in a dreamy mountainous setting with modern tourism facilities. Its modern ski resort, its close proximity to Athens, and its breathtaking mountainous landscape are the strongest reason why.

It was in Arachova that Georgios Karaiskakis (1780-1827) defeated the Turkish army led by Moustafabei in November 1826. At the peak of Arachova there is the imposing church of Agios Georgios which amazes and draws the attention of its visitors. In order to get to the courtyard of the church you must climb the 264 steps where according to tradition many defining moments of the historical battle in Arachova in 1826 were carried out. There are historical documents-records that prove the existence of the church since 1676 yet it is certain that its construction is placed many years before that. The courtyard of the church is decorated with embossed flagstones with designs of Arachovian wefts, made by the hands of Arachovian artisans. The Ministry of Culture on 11th of July 2000 characterized the church as a historical listed monument.

One of the most beautiful parts of Arachova, as well as the most photographed one, is its clock. Towering on the Tiria rock, it becomes even more impressive at night when it is illuminated. Its history starts around the beginnings of the 18th century, when the clock was part of the Metropolitan Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1870. Upon its reconstruction, the clock took the form it has today. During the previous years it was used as a natural refrigerator for the preservation of foods and cheeses, while during the Axis occupation of Greece it constituted a hiding place for important items of the local people of the area.

During the last years the old Elementary School of Arachova has been refaced in order to operate there an area regarding the culture, the Ethnographic Museum of Arachova. The museum is located in the center of the village and it aims to the preservation, study, enhancement and projecting of the local traditional culture and the historical and cultural heritage of the area. Within the areas of the Museum there is a library with more than 5.000 volumes of books, dozens series of Greek and Foreign magazines regarding our ancient and modern culture as well as a great collection of historical and photographic archives from the everyday and historical course of Arachova and the wider area during the 19th and 20th century. Still, a great innovation of the museum is the operation of traditional arts of Arachova under the instructions of many experienced artisans in the field of weaving, knitting, embroidery, making men’s and women’s costumes etc. which are later exhibited in the museum. In the halls of the Ethnographic Museum of Arachova the guest can wander to the various exhibitions that the Museum houses from time to time.

The traditional town of Arachova is located just 10km from Delphi. Zeus released two eagles, one to the East and one to the West and they met at Delphi, making them the center of the world. At the Navel of the Earth, as Delphi is called, the most important oracle of the ancient Greek world was located, and its reputation exceeded the boarders of Greece, even during the ancient years, which is proved by the findings of the diggings that showed oblations from Syria and Armenia. The oracle of Delphi was dedicated to God Apollo and Pythia, the High-Priestess, was the medium to deliver to the interested people the prophecy. Delphi, as it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, gathers a large number of Greek and foreign visitors all year long. The modern town of Delphi was built next to the archaeological site, at an altitude of 570m, with a view to the olive grove of Amfissa and Itea bay. Delphi’s sights are numerous. The most important of them – archaeologically speaking- are Apollo’s Temple, the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, the Ancient Theatre of Delphi, the Athenian Treasury, the Sacred Way, the Castalian Spring, the Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. Also, the Museum of Delphic Festival which is accommodated at the house of our great writer and poet Angelos Sikelianos. Sikelianos had envisioned the “Delphic Idea”, a global spiritual society based at Delphi. In 1927, with the contribution of his wife and many personalities of the era, the first Delphic Festivals were carried out, and they had a global appeal. In the museum, costumes and photographic material from the Delphic Festivals are exhibited, as well as handwritten texts by Angelos Sikelianos and his personal items, and his wife’s Eva broadlooms. Don’t forget to visit the old church of Agios Konstantinos with the amazing works of art and the Church of Agios Nikolaos where there are remains from great Saints of Orthodoxy.

Arachova is full of life. The wild beauty combined with its unaltered traditional character, its cosmopolitan face and the numerous activities the majestic mount Parnassos offers, place it rightfully at the top of the Greek winter tourism and at the list with the top destinations for the other seasons too.