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Religious Tourism !
St Andrew’s Cathedral is a Greek Orthodox Basilica in the east side of Patras. Along with the nearby old church of St. Andrew, it constitutes a place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world. Patras is located 70 kms from Gastouni.
The town of Kalavryta (at 120 kms from Gastouni) is famous for its orthodox monasteries and mountain landscapes. The Massacre of Kalavryta refers to the extermination of the male population and the total destruction of the town by German occupying forces during World War II in December 1943. Today the Place of Sacrifice is kept as a memorial site, and the events are commemorated every December. Do not miss the monastery Mega Spilaio and the Monastery of Agia Lavra, birthplace of the Greek War of Independence, near the train station of Diakofto. Kalavryta is the southern terminus of the Diakofto-Kalavrita rack-railway, built by Italian engineers between 1885 and 1895. On the way you can enjoy the spectacular gorge of Vouraikos.
At 350 kilometers northwest of Athens, the impressive rocks of Meteora is a formation of immense monolithic pillars and hills-like huge rounded boulders which dominate the local area. They are one of the most amazing places in Greece. Many centuries ago, on these gigantic rocks with the breathtaking landscape reaching heights of more than 600 meters, was formed one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second in importance only to Mount Athos. Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and it is located approx. 400 kms from Gastouni.
The byzantine Church Virgin Mary the Catholic (“Panagia i Katholiki”) has been decorated by frescoes. Most of them go back to 1702 at the Venetian period of the region according to one of the state registries financed Ioannikios Neira, the bishop of Oleni. The church was partly painted in the 19th century by a painter named Sophocles and the building was repaired. In the interior of the church a magnificent portable icon of Virgin Mary is one of the main attractions.