Around Chora Alonnisos

Cultural tour in Chora

Within the most human-friendly southern part of Alonissos, Chora of Alonnisos, called the Palio Chorio ("Old Village") by the locals, stands out on a rocky outcrop. This short rocky crest running in a N-S direction, is the most obvious stronghold in a sea of ​​shapeless hills and verdant valleys. The place is at a short distance from the island's best natural harbours, the main water sources and the most fertile valleys.

This privileged place has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Probably the habitation on the rock was continuous until the Middle Ages and intensified in the dark years of piracy, between the 15th and 17th centuries, when the external walls of the houses was organized as a continuous defensive structure of the highest part of the settlement. This self-protected neighborhood at the top of the hill was called Kastro ("The Kastle"), although it had no special defensive features, apart from the small openings of the perimeter houses.

Thanks to its convenient size of the settlement, the small elevation difference and the wealth of cultural elements, Palio Chorio (the Old Village) of Alonissos is one of the friendliest Choras (i.e. major villages) in the Aegean for cultural and archaeological tours.

The route that we recommend here crosses the Chora of Alonissos and passes through all the important landmarks of the history and culture of the settlement and the island, while offering impressive images.

The hike starts from the new square of the settlement - now its main gate and commercial center - and enters the core of the old town through the wide cobblestone that leads from the main parking area to Christos Square.

In front of us is the church of the Genesis of Christ, the parish church of the settlement, and at the opposite place is the old church of Agios Athanasios; a little further on, rises the restored windmill of Chora, built in 1850.

Climb up the main cobblestone route, passing by the nice balcony, where there is a WWII memorial; eventualy, we reach the Paradosiako Spiti ("Traditional House"), the local folklore museum.

To our right is Kastroporta, the main gate to the Kastro. Go up and cross the small fortified neighborhood, eventualy exiting from the auxiliary gate at the southern end, the Paraporti. The main reference points of the Kastro area are the churches of the military saints Agios Georgios and Agios Dimitrios, the first in the heart of the fortified area and the later right at its border.

Continue along the cobbled alleys - every turn hide a surprise : here, an open-air bookshop for the maintenance of Chora's cats, there an old two-stroke motorcycle and a bit lower the old school of the village. Arrive finaly at the old church of Evangelistria.

Continue towards the asphalt and after the threshing floors, climb slightly up to the small hill that bears the chapel of Agios Ioannis. Cross the road again and go up to the chapel of the Taxiarches. Walk up to the starting point, the newest square and conclude the tour of the monuments of the settlement.

Text and photos by T. Adamakopoulos