After enough time of stay in Messinia, we decided to explore a region in the north-eastern of the prefecture that borders on the adjacent prefectures of Lakonia - Arkadia. Its extension is between Vromobryseika Mountain and Goupata Mountain, in the north of Taygetos Mountain. Before enough time certain friends hunters had informed me for the particular part and they fired my imagination so much that I searched the occasion to visit it.
With our central a village afterwards Messini, we realised a way of 160km., that - almost in its entirety –it was provincial street. Even in the department Paradisia - Asprochoma (that it is part of the national road Tripoli - Kalamata) the way is pleasant.
With ally the weather, we began with direction Tripoli. In the node of the village Thouria, we turned right following the plate for Poliani. The uphill way, roughly 10km., offers a unique view of the plain of Messinia. If the atmosphere is clean you can distinguish the cape Akrita but also Tenaro that gives you the impression that “circle” the Messinian trick.
Soon the way “enters” in the mountains. The narrow road – of good quality - continues in step with the gorge, giving the occasion in the visitor to be found in landscapes different with those that he imagines for Messinia. After certain kilometres we met the small church of "Agioi Anargyroi". It does not exist the case it passes unnoticed from whoever passes from there. It is a small temple that is found in the interior of rock! We made a few minutes stop to visit it and it really impressed us!
Following the beautiful way we reached in the node for Poliani (1km.), the mother country of the hero of the Greek revolution of 1821, Papaflessas. In the small graphic village we did not meet any one… nevertheless it deserves the labour to visit it. We left the village and we led to a region where it made its appearance the first plane, the leaves of which created unique chromatic nuances. In a lot of points at the length of the street it accompanied us an impetuous stream forcing us to stop enough times in order to photograph the landscape!
Little before the village Dyrachio we met the node for Sparta. Before we turn we decide to throw a glance in the village. It was of course more “live” but the same graphic with the village Poliani. It allocates a restaurant-cafeteria. We therefore returned in the node and we followed an astonishing narrow way through very tall firs, that referred you in landscapes Alpine!!! I could not believe that the region could allocate such beauties!
The way went up hypsometrically reaching 1250m. up to the node for Neochorio (1km.). We made a stop in order to enjoy the frozen water of a tap that is found near a small church. Neochorio is acquaintance - in many - for the tavern that it allocates. We decided however not to try its cooker, while we knew that if we sat rather we would complete the way that we had drawn… Nevertheless, we visited the village and we were impressed by its entry that is found in a verdant region from plane and wild chestnuts!
We returned in the node and continued in a narrow and helical way for roughly 10km. verdant from firs and tall pines. In a point we met a narrow vertical uphill street and the hardly seen small plate for Georgitsi (7km). In order to be sincere I did not know if it was correct the direction that we followed and if it would be asphalt roadway its continuity. We hypsometrically went up to 1450m until the “The Monument for the dead from the German possession”, in a point that hardly you could distinguish the sky because of the dense vegetation!
From there and beyond we went downhill in a helical way that in certain points it was difficult for a vehicle to fit! The view was fantastic, while you could distinguish Taygetos and the plain of the Evrotas River. Little below we met the village Georgitsi, that is found literally “scrambled” in abrupt mountainous volumes. The wider region is verdant from chestnut and from everywhere runs waters. Georgitsi allocates partially sights: old churches, monument of fliers, a plane, a small waterfall and a central square with one enormous plane tree. We made a stop in order to buy chestnuts. We thought of drinking a coffee, but the time had passed and it was most likely that the night would catch us. We preferred to enjoy the remainder way, we decided to continue.
Following a beautiful and graphic course, we passed the likeable villages Agoriani and Loganikos, in order to reach in the node that led (right direction) to the sources of the Evrotas river (8km). We made a lasting few minutes stop in the specifically shaped space and returned in the previous node with direction the big village of Leontari. The region allocates ways for alternative destinations proportionally for where you want to go like Sparta, Tripoli, Megalopolis, etc.
We preferred to return in Kalamata selecting the shorter way via Leontario - Paradisia so that we lead to the national road Tripoli - Kalamata. Sure is that we will revisit the region. Entering in Leontari we turned left in the node following the course Ellinitsa and Paradeisia. We passed from the graphic small square that entertains an old Byzantine church. The village is built in the foot of α rock, in the top of which are found the remnants of a fortress. It had begun to darken and we did not stop in order to visit it. We only enjoyed the view leaving.
The way up to Paradisia passed through a burned region (rather from the big devastating fires of 2007). The mallow colours of the evening created a mysterious landscape while the naked burned trunks covered the wider region… Reaching in Paradeisia it had gone dark. We took the street for Kalamata (50km).
Returning a question was mislead in my brain… “how many beautiful parts the region allocates that it waits to be discovered? ”. Those who will find themselves in Messinia should visit the particular way… you will change opinion for the region!
Our stomach had begun to protest. Seeing the plate that led to the village “Pidima”, I remembered a tavern that they had proposed me at the past. We did not lose the occasion to visit it. More concretely, we turned left in the node afterwards the village Ariochori. Little before the village we met the plate next to river. Its name I do not know, but there is no case that somebody is passing from there and not seeing it. It is known for its special plate: chicken with potatoes, spaghettis or noodles. Do not wait to see luxuries, neither to be served… while you must serve yourself! Its age exceeds the 50-60 years and the fame continuously grows while the prices remain low… Sure it deserved the labour and sure it can constitute one of the “tasty” sights of Messinia.
