Limnos Tourist Guide

Kondias

The village become a community in 1918, it was initially named Konthias, which corrected into Kondias in 1940. Its name came from the Byzantine landowner of the area Konteas. According to oral narrations, originally the village was near the sea but was abandoned because of pirates attacks.

The oldest church of the village is Agios Ioannis o Vaptistis. It is rather small and has a fortress-like construction, with loopholes and cannons. It is estimated that it was built in the 16th century. It has got many pictures and in the 70s decade was operating as a museum.

The parish church Agios Dimitrios was built in 1867, it is a basilica, with a covered exonarthex supported on monolithic columns with elaborate capitals. It is imposing with an impressive stone tower, a subsequent construction. One other church is the Nativity of Christ, which formerly belonged to the dependency of Lavra Monastery, burned down and was rebuilt in 1938.

Tsimandria

The name is originated from the pronunciation of the article in the expression "st's mandres", ie paddocks, from the stockyards that were in the area. From the late Byzantine period and for many centuries there was a strong monasterial presence in the region of Tsimandria. On October 8, 1912 it was the first village of Limnos that greeted the Greek soldiers who had debarked on the nearby coast Vourlidia. The residents are showing with pride the bridge near the school where the Greek flag was set up for the first time.

In 1915 many soldiers from Britain and the colonies who participated in the unsuccessful expedition of Gallipoli, were hosted there. Also in 1918-21 the inhabitants have treated Russian exiles, both militaries from the Wrangel army and civilians who had taken refuge temporarily in Limnos.

In 1935 the shed fountain in the square of the village and other fountains were built, the cultivation of cotton began, but also the Association "Kechagiades" was founded, which operates until today and has a great contribution to the preservation of traditional music, songs, dances and costumes of Limnos.

Portianou

Originally, the village was further west at the site Agios Spiridon. According to old reports, the residents abandoned the village three centuries ago, because of a cholera epidemic. The place name is Latin and seems to come from the words porto juno, namely new port. This harbor was built by the Venetians in the nearby beach southeastwards of the old village, where a Venetian tower is still preserved.

Apart from rural and commercial métiers, the residents of Portianou developed an intense intellectual and artistic tradition that still continues. In Portianou you may visit the Folklore Museum, the Allied Cemetery of the allied forces who encamped there in 1915 during the Gallipoli expedition, the Temple of Eisodia tis Theotokou, but also to admire the fabulous mansions.

Αngariones

in 1396, in a codex of the Pantokratoros Monastery, the village is mentioned in the form Kariones, which led some people to believe that owes its name to the existence of karyes, although there are not walnut trees in the area. North of Agkariones, is situated the region Laktovoidi, which is marked in a golden bull of 1355 as property of the Monastery of Philotheou. Later the place was a Turkish manor, which was taken over by wealthy Egyptians. In 1858, Conze visited Angariones and found pieces of marble in a garden with shady trees. Today, there are only the chapels of Agios Athanasios and Agia Paraskevi . The chapel of Agia Paraskevi incorporates marble parts on its walls with the inscription: " ANTONIOS VELISARIDIS OWNS THE LAND AVGOUST 20 ... 192 ..." In the interior there is a picture of 1858, painted by Efstratios Imvrios.

Pedino

The original name of Pedino was Pesperago and with this name is refered at least since the 14th century. In 1955 renamed into Pedino, because the old name was considered of Turkish origin, although this is not true. In 1968, after a major earthquake, the village was ruined, its inhabitants abandoned it and moved in a settlement which was built in a new location and was named Pedino. In 2001, five residents were registered in the old village.

Originally the village was situated in the site of Agios Ioannis, northwest Portianou, at the foothills of Ai-Lias, where there are remains of houses. Unknown when and for what reasons (a common reason of relocation were the deadliest epidemics) moved near the shallow salty lake which is a continuity of the Gulf of Moudros, which is now an wetland.

Agios Ioannis Vaptistis which is the church of the village, was built in 1862 and is a basilica with remarkable carved iconostasis. In Palio Pedino has remained, the picturesque alleys, the cobbled square, the stone mansions with stone reliefs decorative motifs.

During the First World War, near the village, at Melangia, allied troops who participated in enterprises of Gallipoli encamped. They created a camp with hospital, aqueduct and other facilities, residues of which are still preserved. Near Palio Pedino is the most remarkable medieval residue of the region, the Alexopyrgos or Alex Tower, which was dependency of the Monastery Pantokratoros of Mount Athos.

Nea Koytali

Nea Koutali was built in 1926 at the site Agia Marina, on the southern slope of Strompolithos hill, in order for the refugees from Koutali of Marmara to settle . Such as Agios Demetrios, New Koutali is a village of Limnos which was built by refugees from Asia Minor.

Nea Koutali, that stands for its good street layout, is built amphitheatrically on the bay of Moudros. It spreads from the pine forest of Agia Triada, which was planted by the refugees and ends in the picturesque harbor, which is full of boats. New Koutali is famous in Greece and abroad for the sponge divers. On July 1, 2006 the " Museum of Maritime tradition and sponge diving"was inaugurated in Nea Koutali.

Panagis Koutalianos, famous wrestler and weightlifter during the decade 1882-1892 made Nea Koutali worldwide famous. He was a manual force naval and he became known in the U.S.A. when defeated many famous fighters of the era. He fought and strangled a wild tiger, whose skin he wore in the struggles and made demonstrations of his strength around the world by bending irons, breaking rocks and chains.

Kallithea

It is located in the center of the island and the original name of the village was Sharpi. Kallithea is built amphitheatrically on the slope of a low hill, approximately 800 meters from the Gulf of Moudros. The site provides a panoramic view. Due to this position, in 1955 was renamed "Kallithea" since the previous name was considered of Turkish origin. But Sarpi is reported in a census document of the monastery of Megisti Lavra, since 1361. Therefore, the place name can’t have Turkish origin.

Contrariwise, it has ancient origin and it is perhaps one of the few Mycenaean place names which survived in Limnos. Specifically, the word «sa-pi-de: box" is mentioned in Mycenaean inscriptions, from which originated the ancient words "sarpis " and "sharpos : “ark" and therefore, "the wooden house." Formerly the village was built fearther east, in the cove "Agios Georgios", but the residents were forced to relocate due to both the pirate danger and other risks of the swampy soils. In 1868, 'Palaiologiki School of Sharpi ", the first mutual learning school on the island outside the capital, operated in the village. The church of Agios Georgios was built fundamentally In 1868 with "the assistance of the pious people." It is basilica and in the interior the trellises of the women’s gallery are remarkable, also the paintings of Paul Thomas (1870) Efstratios Imvrios and Gregorios Papamalis (1918-1923).