Hello travelers!
Recently, I was in Greece but I didnt have the chance to share with you some of the beautiful places I've seen.
So today I thought to write about Kastro, this place where we all (me, hubby and our friends) felt like home. There is a tavern we felt in love with but more important, we felt in love with these people. They are so heart warming and very very friendly! Actually, we exchanged numbers and who knows, maybe someday we'll meet again. 💚
ABOUT KASTRO
I'll start with this paragraph written on a flyer, to describe this place in a few words.
Kastro is the oldest settlement on the island and is located 10 km north of Limenaria. (Limenaria is the second biggest town here, located S-W of Thasos)
It is located at an altitude of 500m and is not distinguished from the lowlands. It was named after the ruins of the castle thats exists there, whose wall was build in 1403.
In the village, you can find the church of Saint Athanassios which was built in the 15th century, in 40 days, with the permission of the Sultan. It's worth mentioning Kastro was designed as a historic monument in 1880. The road of Kastro is good asphalt and it is only 10 minutes driving from Limenaria.
We came here by car, from Limenaria.
It is a beautiful road, mostly goes through forests and high hills. We have rented a buggy car for all the roads we did on the island. Not that the roads are bad, but because we wanted to. Here are some photos takes on the road, from the car. Cause we didnt stop.
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First time you arrive Kastro, you'll see the tavern. Plus, here you'll get all the informations you need. And from this point, the main objectives are just a few minutes away.
I loved especially the vibe of this old village, the old buildings and the remainings of them... Also I enjoyed the view ! 💙
The old village is mostly paved with stone, also the buildings (the houses) are also from stone and rocks.. It has that specific structure that many mountain villages have.
Being built up on a stony flat at Thassos' mountainous heart and surrounded by deep ravines and gorges, the Castle (KASTRO) preserves many signs of the past, medieval erections and vestiges of Gattilusie of the Genoa dynasty. Throughout the centuries, the settlement moved through periods of glamour and decline but remained however an everlasting place of secrets and miracles, a cradle of culture and harmonic coexistence of man and nature. [source]
We took a walk, but we couldn't see it all because the little one got tired and for first time in my life, I forgot my SSC at home (baby carrier). And the stroller didnt have enough space in the car so...we did what we could in this situation.
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A little bit of History
The village is pretty much in the middle of the island.
The village is built at an altitude of 450 m. above sea level, and because it is nestled in the mountains, it cannot be seen from the coast. This was a deliberate policy in the past and throughout the ages, to help protect villages and their residents from being despoiled and pillaged by pirates in the Mediterranean.
It’s name derived from the ruins of a castle that once stood there. Jacob Gatelluzzi, a Genoan to whom Byzantine Emperor Emanuel II Palaiologus gave both of the North Aegean islands of Thassos and Lesvos to in 1414, built the castle on the mountaintop at which the village is found today. The Gattilussi family ruled Thassos for 40 years. Evidence of this can be found on three plaques on a wall of the Church of St. Athanasios.
The village was deserted for very many years. The original residents had abandoned the village in order to work at the island’s coast. Many of them went to the flatter areas where they were able to cultivate their land, and take care of and benefit from their olive trees. Others went to work in the mines near Limenaria, to excavate the minerals on behalf of the Speidel Company. This work of course generated better income for them, and that led to a better standard of living for them than what they had previously been able to have in the village.
All of the above you can find it here, on the official website go-thassos.gr. [source]
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So after you pass after the tavern, there comes an unpaved road, from which you can continue straight to the old village of Kastro or go visit the Greek Orthodox Saint Athanasios Church.
In the photo below, on the tree trunk, you can see a sign. The place is kind of small, don't worry, you won't get lost.
This is where the road goes after you pass by the tavern.
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Here are some photos of the Saint Athanasios Church taken from far away. I didnt go visiting inside cause like I said we were all a bit tired but our friends went and it was close that time anyways. Though I would have loved to take a few photos and see more closely its architecture:D Still the place itself it is. We loved it.
According to the source,
The Church of St. Athanasios is dated, according to its proprietary inscription, back to January 1804. Based on tradition, the church was constructed within forty days after the license was obtained by the Sultan. Since time was short and none could be lost, the whole village participated in its construction.
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From this place right here, I got to see the best view. We spend a couple of good minutes here, enjoying this view, the place.
And my little one had a good time writting in the sand with a stick. So we stayed here until our friends went to see the Church.
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THE TAVERN in Kastro
Best food on the island! The owners of this tavern are very friendly and they run this business with such dedication that you can actually see this. You can tell from their tone, their look, their food and everything. It makes you feel it's all about people, which is the right thing to feel and actually be!
All the food was delicious!
Other than the food, there's no much to say about the place. They have a toilet, an inside area and of course a terrace outside. They are more than happy to answer your questions and maybe even recommends you some other nice places on the island.
They also offer some local products for sale. Ofc we bought everything we could.
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The view is amazing from here. We really enjoyed our time to this tavern. ❤️
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Honey and Yoghurt!
The best on the island! They said this yoghurt is made of 50% cow's milk and 50% goat milk. The texture was extremely dense and creamy! Also they said they produce the honey, which honestly, it was very very tasty. We bought some to have at home as well and every time I have yoghurt and (this) honey, I remember the taste of this. hehe
I don't remember the name of these, but they were vegetarian, rice based and dry herbs, wrapped in wine leaves.
Zuckini Fritters with yoghurt
Honey Lemonade
The best! 💛
Pork Souvlaki
This was very very good. The meat was juicy and not elastic.
They said they marinate it for more than 18 hrs ahead, which is amazing, considering that most of the locals don't give a sh*t about anything.
Mastika + some other Drink I don't remember what it was
These were offered from the house, with no charge. That was sweet of them!
Tzatziki on Pita Bread
My favorite 💛
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Local Products
Honey, Olive Oil, Mastika, Lemon Drink, Dry Herbs.
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Ok guys. This was it. I hope you have made yourself an idea about this place and what does it have to offer.
Personally, we liked it. There were a lot of tourists come and go and I had the chance to speak with a German couple. They said as well that the host is very friendly and that if they ever would go again to the island this would be the first place to re-visit. And this is the same for us.
Not to mention, we came here two times. 😁😍
Thank you for reading, everyone
I hope you enjoy seeing this place with me, through my post ❤️
