Arachova Things to Do

Mount Parnassus is the mountain on which Arachova and Delphi is built. It is barren limestone that gives it a very earie feeling. According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Apollo, the Corycian nymphs, and the home of the Muses.

Mount Parnassus is named after Parnassos, the son of the nymph Kleodora and the man Kleopompus.

Mount Parnassos (Oρος Παρνασoς) is a 2457 m mountain standing in the center of Greece, overhanging both Delphi (12km as the crow flies) and Arahova (6km as the crow flies). The modern name of Mount Parnassos is Mount Diakoura. This is what you will get on maps.

In the Greek antiquity, Mount Parnassos was only second to the Olympe as a sacred mountain. It was considered as the home of the nine Muses. And thus the mythological home of music and poetry. It was dedicated to Appolo.

In Paris, Montparnasse is a district of Paris. This is not pure chance. It was nicknamed by this name around 1725 by students when a large heap of rubble remained for a long time at what would now be the crossing of Montparnasse Boulevard and Raspail Boulevard.

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Arahova is clung to the mountain, on a steep slope. No wonder that the road to reach it and to pass through the city it is narrow and uneasy.

It has a long history. Already in 2000 BC the cities of Anemoria and Kiparissos were mentioned. Arahova was later built on their ruins.

Much later, in1823, Arahova became famous for the victory of the Greeks over the Ottomans.

Mount Parnassus is a mountain of barren limestone that towers above Delphi and Arachova. According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Apollo, the Corycian nymphs, and the home of the Muses.
Mount Parnassus is named after Parnassos, the son of the nymph Kleodora and the man Kleopompus.

When we visited Arachova the Mountain was covered with clouds so we didn’t see all its beauty unfortunately.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Arachova on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38º 28' 49.69" N 22º 35' 28.77" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Arachova Parnassus Mount.

Agios Georgios is one of the main ones for two reasons.
First of all, it is the biggest Church in Arachova, and it is perched on the Afano hill, the highest of the five hills along the slopes of which the city of Arachova has settled on, and also the highest inhabited area of Mount Parnassus.

Another fact that makes this church one of the most important ones is the festival held in Spring, every April 23nd. This date celebrates the Greek victory over the Ottomans in 1826, and also honors the patron saint of the town.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Arachova on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38º 28' 52.59" N 22º 35' 14.55" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Arachova Panorama and Agios Georgios .

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There is a beautiful clock tower hanging out over a cliff in the middle of town.
The church of Agios Nikolaos is another interesting construction, found on the top of another slope, and with a great bell tower.

The mountainous relief of this town also assures great views.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Arachova on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 38º 28' 53.08" N 22º 35' 18.26" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Arachova St Nicholas Bell Tower .

The clock tower of Arachova is situated at the top of a rocky hilled called Tirias. In the past it was ysed a na natural refridgirator for the storage of cheese. During the German occupation the locals used to hind various things in there. In the past the "Telalis" ( used to be the man who announced the various news at the villagers) was climbing up to the hill in order to fulfill its duties.

It is one of the first things that we see as we enter Arachova. It was build at the antry of the 18th century as the bell tower of the Metropolitan church of Eisodia tis Theotokou but was devastated from the strong earthquake of 1870. During WWII the Germans, among the other devastations that they did to the village, blow it up. In 1966 the abbot of St. Lucas monastery, father Nektrios Kmvasinos, under its own expences rebuild the tower.