Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Because the city of Argos was constantly growing the small Church of St. Nicholas no longer served the needs of the people and it was outside the center of the city. The people of Argos therefore decided to establish a large and luxurious church in a central point of the city. The foundation of the Cathedral of St. Peter was laid in July1859. The ceremony was attended by King Otto, the first king of independent Greece. The inauguration of the church took place on April 18, 1865.

Originally the Saint George Monastery ( Ιερά Μονή Αγίου Γεωργίου Φενεού ) was located much lower along the river Doxa (the current location of the Saint Fanourios Chapel ). Due to floodings the monastery was rebuilt in its present location - at an altitude of 1.000 meters - at the end of the 17th century. In 1754, the monastery had to be renovated because of the damage caused by a fire. Today’s 3-storey monastery has an indoor court where one can find the catholicon, a domed basilica, decorated with magnificent religious frescoes and a wonderful gold plated wooden iconostasis, adorned with images and representations from the Old and New Testament. Around the catholicon there are two and three-storey buildings which are the quarters of monks. The monastery is well known for its spoon sweets, which is made by the monks themselves from roses. From the monastery one has a breathtaking view of the unspoiled landscape of Lake Doxa .

The picturesque chapel of Saint Fanourios ( Εξωκλήσι Αγίου Φανουρίου ) is situated on a small peninsula of Lake Doxa , jutting out into the center of the lake. The chapel was originally the church of the first monastery built in the Feneos plain in the 13th century, dedicated to Saint George. At the end of the 17th century flooding of the rivers Doxa and Olvios forced the monks to abandon the original momastery and to build a new one at a higher location. However, the original chapel of the old monastery remained intact over the centuries and was rededicated in 1991 to Saint Fanourios to prevent it from falling into disuse. (Next to the chapel one can see some remains of the old monastery: PiP3). Architecturally, the Saint Fanourios Chapel does not display any particular interest, but in combination with the natural beauty reflected in the waters of the lake, it creates a unique and idyllic image. Over the past three decades, it has become the landmark of the area.

Lake Doxa ( Λίμνη Δόξα ) is an artifial lake. It is situated at an elevation of almost 900 meters and was dammed in the late 1990s. The lake was created to improve irrigation and to address the problem of high tide which destroyed the crops in the region. The lake - which covers an area of over half a square kilometer - is fed and drained by the river Doxa. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 40 meters. Lake Doxa is surrounded by oaks and pine forests. It has been declared a nature reserve, being a habitat to regional flora and fauna and an area of great natural beauty. The main image was taken from the monastery of Saint George

The small village of Plataniotissa, 30km northwest of the town of Kalavryta, has is one of the holiest and most unique pilgrimages of Greece, Church of Our Lady ( Panagia Plataniotissa ) (All Holy Virgin of the Plane Tree) which is tucked inside the hollow of a large plane tree (it’s a special and natural phenomenon which was created when three plane trees sprung together close to each other and over time united into one). Nowadays the tree has a base of around 16 meters. The interior of the church - about 8 meters long and 3 meters wide with a capacity of around 20 people - shows the depiction of the icon of the Holy Virgin, holding baby Jesus. We were a little disappointed with our visit to the tree church in Plataniotissa. Unlike the pictures on the internet, almost all the branches of the plane tree (and also of the surrounding trees) had been cut off due to disease. As a result, only a trunk remains, making it much less impressive

In October 1943, Greek guerrillas captured some 80 German soldiers on a patrol mission, following an ambush in the mountains outside Kalavryta. After negotiations for a prisoner exchange failed, the captives were executed, with only two making a lucky escape undetected. In response the German army started a guerrilla cleanup operation that included terrible reprisals aimed at the local civilian population. Troops converged to the town of Kalavryta from all directions, burning and looting 50 villages along the way and executing many male civilians. Upon reaching Kalavryta on December 13, 1943, the soldiers began setting the town ablaze. They then gathered the town’s entire population at the schoolyard and separated them in two groups. All able men age 13 and upward were led to Kapi Hill, just outside the town, while women, the elderlyand children were locked inside the schoolhouse. (The clock in the cathedral's left tower always reads 14:34, the time at which the horrifying event took place on the December day in question in 1943.) The schoolhouse was set on fire with over 200 women and cildren inside. The soldiers began executing nearly 500 men - only 13 men survived the execution - by machine gun fire. While the execution took place on the hill, the panicked, choking prisoners managed to smash through the school’s doors and escape, while others threw their children outside the windows of the burning building to save them. Today, a memorial complex stands on the hill where the execution took place. It includes a large cross, ossuary, the harrowing sculpture of a lamenting woman of Kalavryta, as well as some on-the-spot graves that remained on site since that day.

The Holy Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located in the central square at the heart of the village. The church was built in the period 1730-1750 and then burned by the Ottomans in 1826, rebuilt, but was destroyed again by the Germans in 1943. The clock on its left belfry is stopped at the time - 14.34 hours - of the Nazi atrocity in December 1943, while on the right a new clock measures the time since the liberation from the Germans. A plaque reads “The hour of destruction left a scar on time. The silenced clock will always read disaster and death, blood, fire and pain at the exact hour the lament began. December 13, 1943” On the second clock tower a plaque reads “The Holy Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was set on fire by the Ottomans in 1826. Was set on fire again by the German on December 13th 1943”.

National Park Kotyhi Stropfylia ( Εθνικό Πάρκο υγροτόπων Κοτυχίου Στροφυλιάς ) extends over an area of approximately 8.000 ha and includes a unique combination of habitats of high ecological and aesthetic values. Its most characteristic ones are the wetlands and surrounding seasonal flooded areas, forests (consisting of three tree species: umbrella pine, Aleppo pine and valonia oak), sand dunes and calcareous hills. Kotyhi Stropfylia is an ideal rest stop for migratory birds and home of a large variety of plants and animals.

The monastery of Agia Lavra is one of the oldest monasteries in Peloponnese. The first one was built in the year 961, but it was burnt down three times: in 1585 by the Turks, in 1826 by the armies of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt and by the German troops in 1943. Finally, in 1950 the monastery of Agia Lavra was rebuilt. Which means the buildings are quite modern, except for a small chapel - dating back till 1600 - where the Greek War of Independence of 1821 was declared (PiP1). The monastery’s museum is devoted to historical treasures. Among them perhaps the most remarkable is the Revolution’s Banner; the first flag of independent Greece (just a pity photography is forbidden in the museum) .

Chlemoutsi Castle (Κάστρο Χλεμούτσ) was founded in 1220-1223 by the ruler Godefridus I Villehardouin and was the strongest fortress of the Frankish principality of Achaia. Originally the castle was called “Château Clermont”, travellers referred to this incredible structure as “Castle Tornese” and the Byzantines called it “Chloumoutzi”. Built in a strategic position, with an extensive view of the plain of Ilia and the Ionian Sea, it protected the capital Andravida, the important harbour of Glarenza and the palace of the house of Villehardouin within the walls of the castle. The castle was equipped with a double fortification. The central part of the castle, which stands at the hilltop, was a two-storey hexagonal structure and housed the princely palace. The halls were arranged around a central courtyard. Chlemoutsi castle began to lose its important role in the defence of the region as early as the end of the Frankish occupation. In 1701 Grimani proposed its destruction. Its location did not serve the interests of the Venetians, which were related to the sea, and the already old castle required extensive work to repair and modernise it. Chlemoutsi remained in Turkish possession until the Greek War of Indepence of 1821. Chlemoutsi Castle still retains its strong Frankish character and remains one of the most important and best preserved fortresses in Greece and is an excellent example of the fortress architecture of the Frankish era in the Peloponnese. Nowadays some of the restored halls of the castle house a museum with about 500 objects on display (PiP5).

Church of Saint Nicholas in the coastal village of Arkoudi.

Arkoudi is a small coastal village in the heart of Peloponnese. This picturesque seaside haven offers a sandy beach and the allure of a hidden island-like retreat.

At the south edge of Methoni Castle a fortified islet floats. Bourtzi - as it is called - was built in the1500’s by the Venetians and is connected to the Sea Gate of the castle with a paved tiny road. At various times it was used as a fort, a prison, a lighthouse, and a refuge during periods of raids. Bourtzi consists of an octagonal tower, which is surrounded by a low octagonal wall. The tower is built on two levels and is covered with a semi-cylindrical dome. A four-sided cistern occupies its ground floor.

Methoni Castle - one of the most important fortress complexes in Greece - was built after 1209 by the Venetians, who at the time were occupying the area and were seeking to fortify the towns from piracy and rivals seeking to overtake their territories. It was the Venetians who began to build the castle, while during its occupation by the Franks and Ottomans, it unavoidably underwent their alterations. The castle reached its great prime during the 1st Venetian Rule, between the 13th and the 15th century, while its final decline came about around 1828, when its inhabitants were transferred outside the walls, leaving it to ruin. The Castle of Methoni covers an area of approximately 93,000 square metres and is divided into two parts. The south part is taken up by the city, which is surrounded by a simple wall, while the city’s fort lies at its northern part, with exterior fortification owing to its defensive purpose. The castle is separated from the land by a ditch and can be reached by a stone bridge with 14 arches.

The monastery of Timi Prodromos is located within the walls of the castle of Koroni. It is still inhabited by nuns who follow the Julian Old Calendar. It was founded in 1918 by the monk Theodoulos, where he lived and practiced as an ascetic. It is a large, well kept monastery, both inside and outside with the temple of Timios Prodromos and a chapel dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. The nuns are running a small souvenir shop (PiP4). We climbed to the top of an octagonal tower - located inside the courtyard of the monastery - with amazing views over the village of Koroni and the endless blue sea (PiP5).

The Holy Byzantine Church of Zoodochos Pigi Samarina (Ιερός Βυζαντινός Ναός Ζωοδόχου Πηγής – Σαμαρίνας) was built in the 12th century. The church was built as the catholicon of the women’s monastery which is considered to be founded by Andronikos II Palaiologos. From the monastery survive today only the ruins of cells, the cistern and one cemetery church nearby. Architecturally the church belongs to the type of cross-in-square church with a dome supported by two columns. During later stages they added the narthex, with the open portico on the western side, and the bell tower, which is considered Frankish, in the 13th century. The walls are built very carefully, at the lower part with large rectangular stones that came from ancient buildings, and the upper part with rich ceramic decoration. At the interior of the church there are impressive wall paintings, with characteristic the monumental representations of Christ’s life. Nowadays the Church of Zoodochos Pigi (Liife Giving Source) is the metochi (= embassy church) of the Voulcanou Monastery . It is located in the middle of nowhere between the villages Kalogerorachi and Ellinoekklisia. It is considered being one of the most beautiful; and well preserved Byzantine monuments of the Peloponnese

The Polylimnio Waterfalls are a collection of 15 cascading waterfalls and azure and turquoise little lakes located in the heart of Peloponnese. The waterfalls are formed by the flow of the Kadis River. The name of this waterfall complex comes from the word (poly=many, limnio=lake), which together means “many lakes”. Each of the lakes has its own name: for instance Mavrolimna , meaning “black lake”, Tou Italou , which means “of the Italian” and Stathula , which is a girl’s name. The biggest lake is “Kadi Lake”, which has the biggest waterfalls that reach a height of 25 meters. We were really surprised by the gorge with the waterfalls and little lakes, which looks like a paradise on earth. It was one of the hidden gems during our holiday on the Peloponnese. Polylimnio means “many lakes” and this is exactly what we discovered. We walked along a path with rocks, tree roots and metal aiding handles. It was tough and tiring - especially with the high temperatures - but totally worth it.

Agia Theodora (Church of Holy Virgin Martyr Theodora) is a small Byzantine church with 17 trees - 200 years old - growing on its roof; most of them are taller than 20 metres. Only one single root can be seen above the entrance. No roots can be seen anywhere else, not even inside the church. The walls are 70 cm thick. Underneath the church is the source of a river whose water feeds the trees. Inhabitants of the region have built the church in the 12th century. Nowadays the church is a popular place of pilgrimage. Believers are said to have received numerous miracles. In 1965 the church was declared a monument. Theodora grew up in Vasta, where the family would send the sons to fight in the army against the enemy. Having no boys in the family, Theodora decided to join the army to save her father from having to do so. Disguising herself as the soldier Theodore, she soon became one of the most valiant and brave soldiers. A woman soon developed lustful feelings for “Theodore” and claimed that he had impregnated her. Theodora was commanded to either marry the woman or be condemned to death. Doing nothing to prove her innocence (as easy as this would be) Theodora placed her hope in God. Being condemned to death, before her execution, she prayed, “Let my body become a church, my blood a river, and my hair the trees.” On the spot where she was martyred, a spring gushed forth which flooded to become a river which still exists today. The 17 trees on the roof of the church are symbolizing Theodora's age at the time of death.