Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Museum of History and Art
Platía Bótsari • Mon-Fri 9am-1.30pm & 4-7pm, Sat & Sun 9am-1pm & 4-7pm, closes 6pm winter • Free
Back on the central square, the Neoclassical town hall houses the small
Museum of
History and Art
devoted to the revolution, with some emotive paintings on the upper
floor (including a copy of Delacroix's
Gate of the Sortie
), reproductions of period
lithographs and a rather disparate (and desperate) collection of Byronia on the ground
floor. Pride of place, by the entrance, goes to an original edition of Solomos's poem
Hymn to Liberty
, now the words of the national anthem.
The lagoon
More interesting than any town sight is a walk across the
Klísova lagoon
, past two
forts
that were vital defences against the Ottoman navy. The lagoon, with its salt-evaporation
ponds and fish farms, attracts a variety of wading birds, especially in spring.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
MESOLÓNGI
3
By bus
Travelling here by bus will probably involve
changing at Agríno, a grim transport hub and the hottest
town in Greece in summer. KTEL buses arrive in Mesolóngi
at Mavrokordhátou 5, by Platía Bótsari, while local blue-
and-white ones call just a few paces away.
Destinations
Agrínio (hourly; 35min); Athens (12 daily;
3hr 30min); Náfpaktos (3 daily Mon-Fri; 50min); Pátra (9
daily; 1hr). From Agrínio services run to: Corfu (bus/ferry, 2
daily in season; 4hr); Ioánnina (6 daily; 2hr 20min);
Karpeníssi (1 daily; 3hr 30min); Mesolóngi (hourly; 35min);
Préveza (5 daily Mon-Fri, 2 Sat & Sun; 1hr).
By car
Mesolóngi is linked to Ioánnina by the modern
Ionian Highway.
Services
ATMs surround the square; the post office stands
a block east on Spyrídhona Moustaklí.
ACCOMMODATION
Avra
Hariláou Trikoúpi 5
T
26310 22284.
A good budget
option just of the central platía and close to the best of
Mesolóngi's eating and drinking venu
es. F
for quiet, ask for a
room at the back. Breakfast included.
€45
Theoxenia
T
26310 22493,
W
theoxenia-hotel.gr.
An
upmarket, if impersonal, choice is this small, landscaped
complex just south of town on the lagoon shore -
convenient if you're driving, though the 1970s-vintage
rooms are ripe for a
n ov
erhaul. Nice bathrooms. Free wi-fi.
Breakfast included.
€55
EATING
The main concentration of
tavernas
, interspersed with a few
bars
, is along and around Athanasíou Razikótsika, a
pedestrianized street one block south of similarly car-free Hariláou Trikoúpi. In the narrow alleys linking these two broader
streets are too many
bars
and
kafenía
to detail - you'll find something to suit. Mesolóngi is especially noted for its eels,
smoked or grilled; also famous is the local
avgotáraho
or
haviára
, caviar made from grey mullet roe.
Ì
Filoxenos
Razikótsika 7
T
26310 28008.
The
poshest restaurant in town is worth the extra expense,
with exemplary presentation of generous portions and a
pleasant interior. The local eel, grilled, is the signature dish.
Daily, lunch & dinner.
Tourlídha
A causeway extends 4km from Mesolóngi to the open sea at
TOURLÍDHA
, a hamlet of
wood-plank and prefab summer cottages on stilts, plus a few
tavernas
.
If you can
stomach the intermittent stench from the nearby salt-ponds, there's a packed-sand
beach
to swim from, with showers and a few café-bars. Makes a picturesque, funky
outing if you're visiting Mesolóngi.
EATING
TOURLÍDHA
Alykés
T
26310 24327.
Nicely placed with tables
facing the beach, this large taverna is a pleasant, family-
run place for lunch, with fresh fish always on offer. A
meal centred round a large grilled squid, big enough for
three persons, will cost you about €25.
Daily lunch &
dinner.
