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Velanidia Voion

COUNTY: Laconia MUNICIPALITY: Monemvasia

Clouds
17.04ºC

Population

100 - 500

Distance from nearest city

50-75km

TL;DR

A small village that has a large number of sights, from abandoned German buildings to beaches, chapels, churches and others.

Velanidia Voion is built between two mountains and is hidden by oak trees – hence, its name (“velanidia” in Greek means “oak tree”)– and plane trees. It is an old pirate village with many springs that are used to supply the upper and lower village with water. The houses are built close to each other, with white walls, blue, green and brown window shutters and tiled roofs.

The village is at an altitude of 196m on the southern part of Mount Parnonas, and more specifically on the eastern side of Mount Krithina, with approximately 440 residents. It was founded in 1778 after the Orlov Revolt when fugitives from Spetses island came to settle in the area. Consequently, it is not strange that its architecture resembles the one in Spetses. The village is mainly resided by marines and fishermen. On the region there are many chapels, such as Agios Panteleimonas (St. Panteleimonas) with murals from the 12th and 13th century, a single-room church with a carved temple, where the representation of Melismos (Holy Liturgy), that is Jesus depicted as a naked baby, covered with a white sheet and two angels on his right and left side. From Velanidia you can easily access on foot Agios Myronas village and from there the Malia Cape.

On the region there is also the ancient town of Sidi, probably located at Agios Georgios cove, east of Malia Cape. In the village you can visit the folklore exposition made by the Women’s Association of Velanidia. The building that was used by the Germans during the World War II as an observatory and a communication center for the eastern Mediterranean, is preserved in a good condition. In Velanidia you will also find the “Small Holy Mountain” with a large number of small chapels built during the 12th and 13th century. Below the village there are many beaches, such as Gialos beach, Kalovolos beach and Agios Pavlos beach with crystal clear waters, thick sand and pebbles. There is also a fishing shelter for the fishing vessels of Velanidia and the southeastern Peloponnese. In the village there is also the stone-built church of Myrtidiotissa with a spectacular solar clock upon its entrance.