General information
The Lechova Hiking Trail overlaps with the Karamanos trail (Komoot route) all the way until the main asphalt road. From there, the two foot trails go together for another 100 meters, through the forest, then the walking path divides into two: the one to the left will take you to the Karamanos cave and the one to the right will lead you to the Lechova Monastery.
After they separate, the Lechova trail continues quite abruptly for about 80 meters, then it flattens out and remains so until the end. After 5 more minutes of walking through the forest trail, you will exit onto the main country lane that has two bifurcations. To continue your hiking, you will choose the field road to the left and stay on it until you reach the imposing stone gate of the Lechova monastery. There is also the possibility to make a small detour of approximately 1 km that leads to a small church with a fantastic view over tha valley. This will add around 15 minutes to your hike.
- Distance: 10 km
- Duration: 150 minutes.
- Difficulty: medium
- Hiking gear: walking boots, water bottle, a hat, trekking poles (if you need extra support)
- Attractions: Karamanos Cave, Lechova Monastery, Amphitheatre
History
The monastery of Lechova dates back to the 11th century and since then it has been an Orthodox monastery. The church was renovated in the 1980s with funding from donations and voluntary work of the local community. The monastery is open to visitors every day from sunrise to sunset. On Sundays and other Christian holidays, people from nearby villages and other areas come to attend Mass, after which coffee, cookies and loukoumi are served in the monastery dining room.
The main church was built in the 14th century next to an older, smaller church of the 11th century, which is embedded on the right side of the main church. The temple was built on the foundations of the Asclepieion of Ancient Titani and has the form of a Byzantine church in cruciform style with an octagonal dome. The mosaic on the floor of multicoloured marble forms extraordinary geometric decorations. As you enter the main church, a mosaic with very fine tesserae depicts a bird with a long neck and long, slender legs that used to live in the area but is now extinct.
The monastery hosts a copy of the icon “Panagia Lechovitissa” dating back to the 17th century. The original icon is kept in the chapel located in the nuns’ dormitory because it was stolen from the church in the 1980s and was cut into 4 pieces to facilitate its illegal transport abroad. With the help of Interpol, the icon was able to return to Greece to be restored and re-installed in the monastery.
Natural landscape
This footpath starts near the Amphiteater of Kryoneri and goes through a forested area, as well as a region with vineyards and apple orchards. An unusual fact for this region is that the vineyards grow alongside a pine tree forest. Normally, there is a difference of at least 200 meters altitude between the natural habitat of the two types of vegetation.
From the Lechova Monastery’s courtyard you can enjoy a mesmerizing view over the Corinthian Gulf with its two small Alkionides islands.