Culture of Loutraki. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Loutraki is a popular thermal resort, however, besides healing springs and a beautiful beach, it is also interesting for its historical sights. On the outskirts of the city, there is an ancient sanctuary, and according to researchers, a large temple dedicated to the goddess Hera was once located in this place. This latter was built in the 9th century BC. Now the sanctuary is in the middle of an important archaeological area. Here you can see fragments of ancient columns discovered during excavations, an altar of the ancient temple, and other restored fragments of the ancient building. On the territory of the temple, they found an ancient furnace for clay burning, as well as over 200 glass vessels that were used for rituals. Artifacts discovered during the study of the area are currently stored in the local archaeological museum.

In the vicinity of the city, there are many interesting Christian attractions. On the top of the Gerania Ridge Mountain is the ancient monastery Moni Osiou Patapiou. To climb to it, one will need to overcome a steep stairway of 144 steps. The history of the foundation of this monastery is pretty interesting. In the 13th century, a young hermit named Potapius settled in one of the caves on the side of the mountain. Later he founded a small cave church, which has subsequently existed for more than 600 years.

The relics of the hermit are now the main local treasure. Thousands of people come to worship them every year. The monastery one can see in this place today was founded relatively recently, in 1952. About 40 nuns live here today. Other religious sights have been preserved at the top of the mountain. Here you can visit ancient churches and admire frescoes created by local artists hundreds of years ago. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

A short drive from the city, near the village of Isthmia, is the ancient Temple of Poseidon, another popular tourist attraction. It was built in the 7th century BC. Through the efforts of modern architects and researchers, it was possible to restore the ancient building partially. Today, visitors to the archaeological area can see majestic columns of the ancient temple, as well as the skillful floor mosaic, which is considered the most valuable discovery of these places. Not far from the ancient temple is a popular archaeological museum that has gathered a very interesting collection of finds.

To the northwest of Loutraki is the beautiful Cape Malagavi, a very important place from a historical point of view. A lighthouse built on top of this cape in the 19th century has managed to survive to this day. This stretch of the coast is considered very difficult because of the rocks. Many ships and boats crashed here in the past. After the construction of the lighthouse, the number of shipwrecks was significantly reduced, but it was not possible to make this area completely safe for sailors.

The ancient lighthouse is considered a valuable architectural monument built with the use of light stone. The main remarkable feature of the building is the dome of a rich green color. These scenic places are popular with divers who come here to see old ships resting on the bottom.

In Loutraki, fans of excursions can go on interesting field trips during which they can see the main archaeological and historical attractions of the region. The city is just half an hour drive from the ancient Greek city of Κόρινθος, the ruins of which are now of world significance. Here, researchers discovered an ancient acropolis, the ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite, and the ancient temple of Apollo erected more than 2.5 thousand years ago. One of the largest museums in Greece operates in this archaeological area. It contains the many archaeological finds from various regions of the country. A separate building of the cultural center is the museum of ancient ceramics where you can see old tableware, household items, and jewelry of the ancient Greeks.

Excursions to Μυκήνες are also popular among Loutraki guests. The entire territory of this ancient city is considered an open-air museum. Here you can see amazing antique and ancient Christian attractions, visit tombs of famous Greek rulers and numerous museums. In Mycenae, it was also possible to restore an ancient acropolis, and a collection of the local archaeological museum is considered one of the most valuable in the region. Visitors to Loutraki can choose from a variety of exciting tours.