Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PELION TRENÁKI
A prime west-Pelion attraction is the
trenáki
,
or
narrow-gauge railway
, which originally
ran between Vólos and Miliés. The 60km line, in normal service until 1971, was laid out
between 1894 and 1903 under the supervision of engineer Evaristo de Chirico, father of
famous artist Giorgio de Chirico (which accounts for the little trains which chug across
several of his paintings). To conquer the 2.8-percent gradient and numerous ravines
between Áno Lehónia and Miliés, the elder de Chirico designed six multiple-span stone
viaducts, tunnels and a riveted
iron trestle bridge
, all justly considered masterpieces of
form and function. The bridge, some 700m west of the terminus below Miliés, spans a
particularly deep gorge and can be crossed on a
pedestrian catwalk
; indeed, following
the entire route down to Áno Lehónia is a popular 5hr 30min walk, with occasional
springs en route.
You can ride on one of the original Belgian steam
locomotives (since converted to diesel),
during weekends and holidays Easter-October (daily July-Aug), and several of the
belle epoque
stations have been restored. The
train
leaves Áno Lehónia (city bus #5 from Vólos) on the
coast at 11am, taking 95min to reach Miliés, from where it returns at 4pm.
Tickets
are
currently €13 adults, €8.50 kids, one-way or round trip, and go on sale at 10.30am (start
queuing at 10am), at either Vólos or Áno Lehónia. However, groups often book out the three
carriages, so best make enquiries at Vólos station a few days in advance.
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ravines. The beaches, at least until Kalá Nerá, are far more developed than their natural
endowments merit and lack the character of those on the east shore. Inland it is a
different story, with pleasant foothill villages and decent bus services.
Vyzítsa
and
Pinakátes
in particular both make good bases for car-touring or hiking.
Miliés
The sizeable village of
MILIÉS
(sometimes Miléës or Mileai) was an important cultural
refuge during the eighteenth century. It retains some imposing mansions and the
Pelion's most interesting church,
Taxiárhis
(usually open around 6pm). Its narthex
frescoes are the oldest (eighteenth century) and most unusual, including scenes from
Noah's Flood (with two elephants boarding the Ark) and, in one corner, a three-ringed
mandala showing the seasons, the zodiac and the cycle of human existence. With five
wells under the floor and 48 clay urns secreted in the walls, the church's acoustics are
superb, so it's occasionally used for concerts of sacred music.
Vyzítsa
VYZÍTSA
, 3km west of Miliés and alive with water in streams and aqueducts, has a more
open and less lived-in feel than either Makrynítsa or Miliés, though it, too, draws
crowds of day-trippers in summer. It's also the nexus of pleasant trails, some of which
can be combined into half-day
loop-hikes
. One that leads down to the sea in about two
hours starts from the chapel of Zoödhóhou Piyís, just below Vyzítsa's platía, and
follows a sporadically marked route that takes you around a vast landslip zone, and
then across two ravines (bridges provided) followed by a brief stretch of farm track
until dropping down to Kalá Nerá. Whatever your penchant for exploring the area, the
famously picturesque hamlet makes an excellent base, with several
accommodation
options in converted mansions.
Pinakátes
PINAKÁTES
, at the top of a densely forested ravine, was once among the least visited
and most desolate of the west Pelion villages, following a 1955 phylloxera outbreak that
ended its status as vineyard capital of the Pelion. No longer: the surfacing of roads in
from three directions and trendy Greeks buying up crumbling mansions for restoration
have seen to that. For now it remains a superbly atmospheric spot, with just enough
food and accommodation to make it practicable for a sojourn.
