Hiking Menalon & Lousios Gorge

Menalon Trail, located in Arcadia of central Peloponnese is the first certified trail in Greece by the European Ramblers Association (ERA). The area is not just mountainous but it is also characterized by a rugged relief composed of continuous valleys, deep gorges, big plateaus and bare peaks. Part of Menalon trail is the famous and very popular hike from Stemnitsa to Dimitsana comprising some of the best features of the area.

Our trip starts from Stemnitsa the village of goldsmiths to Dimitsana the village of watermills. These are two of the most important settlements in the Peloponnese and two of the most picturesque of Greece. Both excellent examples of traditional stone architecture, dominant in every public building, dwellings and churches and in the village cobble paths. We walk into a versatile environment encountering the Byzantine Monasteries of Prodromos and Philosophos dating to 963 A.D. literally hanging off the cliffs. We discover old hermitages, watermills and water springs while crossing the imposing gorge of Lousios the river where mythical god Zeus had his first bath. We end our journey at the Open-Air Water Power Museum in Dimitsana, a place highlighting the importance of water power in traditional society.