Κριτικές

  Easy access...landed Athens.. train direct to Korinthos.. great value car hire with Vasilopoulos car hire including pick up and drop from station.. 90 min easy drive to Stemnitsa for... read more overnight guest house then walk in 5 stages ..not 8. Trail times are very ambitious especially with backpack and gradients. Mountain and forest areas are stunning with numerous historic sites reroute. Villages are very hospitable with Stemnitsa ( Gartagani Guesthouse) and Nimfasia (Acropolis Guesthouse) our most memorable. We arranged a lift back to our car with guest house host in Valtesinisko (V/studios) at our arrival in Lagkadia which is a very charming village ( taxis are expensive and few).
Drive on to Vouraikos Gorge track train walk...another must.
An easy very rewarding waking week all round.
Great buys in jewellery ( Stemnitsa) and honey (Lagkadia)

  Since we have young kids (4 & 6) we didn't want our hike to include a massive climb so we just drove our car to the Monoporis Bridge which is... read more right on the river (road starts on Dimitsana and quite bad in some parts so drive slowly), parked near the bridge and did a little walk on the trail towards Dimitsana direction and then returned the same way. If you cross the bridge to the other side by foot you can find a path to the river bank (on your right, just after the bridge) where we had a great picnic and dip our feet in the ice cold water.

  We hiked the Menalon Trail in March from Stemnitsa to Vytina over four nights. We could have maybe made it three, but we wanted a day in the middle to... read more rest (which we did in Dimitsana in the Amanites Guesthouse, which I highly recommend). It was a beautiful trail but in March be warned - it can get quite warm in places but also quite foggy, rainy, and cold! We started off in the beating sun, but eventually on the Dimitsana - Elati route we ran into snow several feet deep! The first leg, going along the gorge and the monasteries was beautiful. We saw turtles and donkeys as well along the way. Nearing Dimitsana, we ran into some flooded areas of the trail and had to climb around and get our feet quite wet for a bit of it due to recent spring rain. There were some marked detours but we did lose the trail at one point and regained it later on. Dimitsana itself was a lovely quiet town, a great place to rest off the first day and we were lucky to see it snow-covered in the morning. The museum in town was unfortunately closed because of the holidays, but as we walked past it, it looked interesting. After resting, we did two legs in one day from Dimitsana to Zygovisti and then on to Elati. Because of recent snowfall, this third leg started out okay but quickly became a challenge as we had to walk up and down steep snow-covered icy trails which we hadn't quite been prepared for. Luckily some proper hikers were ahead of us, so we followed their footsteps and were fine. They had hired the services of a Menalon Trail guide, which you can do by email or calling the number for the trail (I recommend this if there's any sign of inclement weather). In Elati we stayed at Vanna's House (the contact you can also get from emailing Menalon trail), who provided a beautiful dinner and breakfast in their lovely self-built farmhouse. From there we did the last leg at a leisurely pace to Vytina. Vytina is a bigger town which probably gets more tourists, but we didn't feel as welcome there as in the earlier few towns along the trail - but it's a gorgeous town nonetheless.

The whole trail is pretty clearly signposted, however due to aforementioned inclement weather (rain and snow), it might be not so easy to find during early spring. The only time we walked near other people was during the first leg, as there are people going between the monasteries. In the snow covered areas, we saw hints of other travellers, but for the most part the whole trail felt like it was just for us!

To get to the trail, we took a bus from Athens to Tripoli (€16.50 each) and had been planning on taking a local bus from Tripoli to Stemnista, but we found there was a holiday on that day, so we had to pay for a taxi (€40). On the way back to Athens, we took a bus from Vytina back to Tripoli which carried on to Athens. I found there wasn't so much clear information on getting to/from Menalon trail that you can find online... But it's not really a big problem because, unless there's holidays, you can probably make it to and from Athens OK.

  A wonderful walk - highly recommended. We staying in Dimitsana and took a taxi to Stemnitsa, and walked back along the trail. The section is 12.5km and a combined ascent... read more of 700m (although it felt more). The walk is about 5 hours plus stops. Setting off it the morning we were above the clouds which gradually cleared during the day. Basically the walk takes through the gorge starting at 1000m and dropping to 500m and then back to 1000m. The trail is extremely well way-marked, as are many Greek paths, pretty hard to get lost, and we did not take a map. We were lucky with the weather, there was torrential rain just after we return and I imagine it could get very hot in the summer months.

  This trail is really amazing!

We did 3 parts:

Dimitsana - Stemnitsa: Both villages are beautiful. The trail takes you through the gorge where you have a great... read more view of the river Lousios. The nature is really something to see. Very peaceful trail, we encountered very few people. The monastery close to Stemnitsa is also worth visiting. Once you are at the top a great view awaits you.

Stemnitsa - Karitaina: Karitaina is really a very beautiful village. This is not part of the official trail and is not so well maintained, however it is really amazing. I would not recommend it to acrophobic people. Also consider that despite the fact the hike is short, it still takes a while to do since the path is not so easy to go through. You once more decent into the gorge of the river and, for the most part, hike along the river Lousios.

Elati - Vytina: An amazing part of the trail. First going through a cedar forest and along a small river. Really worth it. Again both villages are really beautiful. With a bit of lack we were able to get a cab from Vytina back to Elati for about 15 euro.

  We were looking for a 3 hour (ish) hike to explore the Louisos Gorge and see the Monasteries.
We were recommended to take the car to Ancient... read more Gortys, walk along to Prodomos Monastery, follow on to the old Filosofu Monastery and then to the 'new' Filosofu Monastery.
It took around 1.5 hours one way, although depends how long you spend at the Monasteries/ taking photos etc. You then need to return the same way, which while it's always nice to have a round trip we thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and you always see things differently coming back.
If you do intend to visit the Monasteries please remember they have dress requirements and it's important to be respectful. Men and women need to have legs covered and women need to have shoulders covered. Both Monasteries we visited had clothes/sarongs you could borrow, which was fine.
Prodomos also has refreshments and you can refill water bottles at both too.
We loved it and would recommend!

  A bit rugged with difficulty finding trail markers at times. Scenery is gorgeous with a deep gorge, an ancient bridge and spring along the way. We were alone the entire... read more hike. Well worth the effort.

  I recently visited and walked part 5 of Menalon Trail, starting from Vytina to Nymfasia..but we also walked all the way to Kernitsa monastery...I am an experience and professional guide... read more myself from Evia island..My visit was part of the the 1st Panhellenic Meeting on Hiking Networks and the 3rd European Conference of Representatives of Certified LQT (Leading Quality Trails) paths. In my opinion this trail network does serve the purpose it was initially created for..to revive small mountain villages through outdoor and hiking activities, also promoting the landscape, culture and gastronomy. The trails are reasonably well maintained, and the marking are sufficient to keep you going..i wish the team good luck with their trail projects, as their future goal is to connect all ancient sites of Peloponnese, such as Mycenes and Ancient Olympia with the same walking path, which i find really fascinating..