Mountains, gorges, rivers, rushing waters, torrents, waterfalls, lakes, plane trees alternating with fir trees, mountainous and hospitable people, picturesque villages, traditional cafes and stone houses with tiled roofs where smokers and smokers smoke a unique and heavenly landscape at the foot of the imposing Mount Velouchi.
There you can find many hiking and hiking trails, the ski resort and an unknown alpine lake, which you can admire from afar in winter, but only in summer can you reach.
Karpenisi is the capital of the Prefecture of Evritania and the Municipality of Karpenisi. It is located in the center of the Prefecture, on the southwest side of Timfristos at an altitude of 970 meters. It is 78 km from Lamia and 111 km from Agrinio, via the Episkopi Bridge.
The word Karpenisi comes from the Aromanian word kárpinu (oyster, gabbro) + comprehensive suffix -iş, also from the Latin carpinus, which means gabbro, oyster; it is a phytonym. Therefore, the etymologically correct spelling is Karpenisi. -Η- appears from paretymology with the Greek word νησί.
In the area there were from ancient times various settlements on the outskirts of today’s city. In one of them, at the northern foot of “Paliokastro” (hill of Agios Dimitrios), was found the famous “Treasure of Karpenisi”, a collection of 35 masterpieces of Hellenistic goldsmithing.
Karpenisi took part in the revolution of 1821. The Revolution was proclaimed in Karpenisi by the local chiefs of Gioldasai and Vraskas, but superior Turkish forces from Lamia neutralized the besiegers. Soon, however, the rebels regrouped and drove the Turks out of the city.
Near Karpenisi, in the place of Kefalovryso, is the place where the fighter from Souli, Markos Botsaris, was killed in a battle with the Turks, on August 9, 1823.
Karpenisi and a hundred other villages in southern Evritania were set on fire by three German battalions on August 10, 1944, and until August 17 of the same year. The “Mountain Museum” and the “KIPE – Cultural History Center of Evritania” operate in the city. Many of the surrounding villages are proud of their folklore museums, mainly Mikro and Megalo Chorio, as well as Aspropyrgos Prousou, where you will find many samples of the cultural heritage of the village.
Koryschades
The settlement is 10 minutes away from Karpenisi and the landscape enchants with its beauty.
The Koryschades took their name from the ancient Greek word “korys” which means helmet (in ancient times, very close to the village there was a mine from which metal was mined – from which weapons and helmets were made).
On the ground floor there is a library with a collection of books, while on the upper floor, an exhibition with rich photographic material. In Koryschades you will find the museum of National Resistance.
Prousos Monastery
At a distance of 28 km from Karpenisi and 55 km from Agrinio, there is the Monastery of Prousos, which stands from the 9th century AD. majestically at the edges of a steep cliff in the Evrytanian mountains. The view and the morphology of the area are such that will amaze every pilgrim and visitor. Built in the 12th century, the monastery houses in its small museum ecclesiastical relics and manuscripts, Byzantine icons of the 15th and 16th century, and part of the armament of George Karaiskakis.
The monastery of Prousos is one of the most important places of worship of Orthodoxy as it hosts the miraculous icon of Panagia Prousiotissa which is the work of the Evangelist Luke. Every day crowds of people flock to worship and receive its blessing from all parts of Greece and the world. The monastery celebrates on the 23rd of August which is the performance of the feast of the “Assumption of the Virgin”. The monastery also has guest houses for visitors.
The route that leads to Prousos, crossing the area of Potamia, is 32 km of green and magic next to the river Karpenisiotis and between the mountains Helidona and Kaliakouda. In fact, along the way, you will see the point with the tributes, from where it is said that she passed leaving her “footprints” on the rock. Although Karpenisi, like the whole land of Evrytania, is not exclusively a winter destination, the “Switzerland” of Greece, as we fondly call it, is particularly charming in winter.
The visitor, before starting to explore the area, should not miss the walk in the city. The walks start from the marble square of Markos Botsaris, the only flat part of Evritania, as described by Zacharias Papantoniou.
The classic plane tree, the fountains, the church of the Holy Trinity built in the 17th century is the “zero” point, from where the streets with the stone houses with the tiled roofs and the traditional taverns begin to wind.
You will see more traditional architecture (restored mansions, Byzantine churches and bridges) in the nearby villages of Koryschades and Fidakia.
Just outside Karpenisi, you will find the famous Kefalovryso, with its springs and the wonderful plane tree forest that leaves no one indifferent, while from the hill of Agios Dimitrios you will enjoy the wonderful view to the city.
The Saloon Park
Just outside the city, near Koryschades, is the Tourist Horse Riding and Adventure Park, a place that children and adults alike will love. Here you will experience horseback riding, cycling, trampoline, climbing, canoeing, aerial passes, train rides and other family activities.
The mountain villages
Karpenisi is crossed by the Karpenissiotis river, which originates from the western slopes of Timfristos and flows southwest in the valley formed between the mountains Kaliakouda and Helidona, until it finally joins the river Krikelopotamos forming the river Krikelopotamos.
Many villages of Evritania are built around Karpenissiotis, which are known for tourist traffic, such as Megalo Chorio and Mikro Chorio. In fact, this whole area has been designated by UNESCO as the first in clean environment in Europe.
Apart from Mikro and Megalo Chorio, Domnista is worth a tour, in the square of which you will enjoy your tsipouro, Voutyro with some of the best taverns of Evritania and a beautiful fir forest for walks, but also Gavros, on the edge of the river, famous for its river trout.
The gorge of Mavri Spilia and Pantavrechei
The route between Karpenisi and Prousos is green and leads to the historic mountain monastery of Prousos, built – almost κάθε carved – on the vertical rock. At the edge of the village, you will find the gorge of Mavri Spilia, a wild and fascinating setting with a route that passes through waterfalls and bridges.
From Megalo Chorio the routes to the “heart” of Pantavrehei, the gorge where… always rains thanks to the springs and the running waters that end at the waterfalls. The route crosses the mountain of Kaliakouda and meanders on the banks of Krikelopotamos until it reaches the “inland” of the gorge.
For hikers the safest time to cross the gorge is summer, from June onwards and even with excursions organized by various specialized companies, such as Trekking.
Ideal for autumn excursions in their streets are the villages of Agios Andreas and Gorianades, as well as the small village of Kalesmeno, which nests among the pines, just outside Karpenisi.
The lake of Kremasta
One of the largest and most beautiful artificial lakes in the country, Kremasta Lake is the “meeting point” of the Acheloos, Tavropos, Trikeriotis and Agrafiotis rivers, about 50 km west of Karpenisi. The scenery includes calm turquoise waters, impressive bridges and small islands, in an area that really resembles Switzerland.
In Prousos is the great pilgrimage of the Virgin Mary, in a majestic landscape in the ravine. Thousands of worshipers flock all year round in buses for the miraculous image, believed to have arrived here alone from Bursa, Asia Minor.
