Vytina is a mountainous village in the Peloponnese, in the Prefecture of Arcadia. It is located at an altitude of 1.033 meters, on the Mount Mainalo in a verdant area dominated by pine, fir and chestnut trees. Vytina is a mountainous village in Peloponnese, in the Prefecture of Arcadia. According to the population census of 2011, Vytina has 652 inhabitants. It is considered as a traditional settlement.
Name
In ancient times, the gods Demeter and Poseidon Hippios were worshiped in this place. The ruins of the Temple of Poseidon are preserved at the entrance of the village of Magouliana.
In the Greek Revolution of 1821, the village of Vytina was recognized as a sacred place. It played a major role during the war as a supply center, resulting in being burned seven t
After the liberation and until the Second World War, Vytina was the large commercial center of the area with an important bazaar. In fact, there was a branch of the Bank of Athens as well as a Forestry School. This development was due to the lack of communication with the surrounding villages which, when completed, Vytina ceased to be the former shopping center. Nowadays, an important attraction of Vytina is the ski resort of Ostrakina in Mount Mainalo. Moreover, the village of Argyrokastro (at an altitude of 1.450 m) is worth a visit. It is located near Magouliana, on the edge of a steep cliff of 100 meters, built by the Franks in 1205, founding Varona of Akova.
Sightseeing
The most important sights in Vytina are the following; the church of St. Tryfon that dominates in the town square, built in 1846 with the local black marble from the surrounding area, the two traditional wood ovens located near the main square and the Folklore Museum. Moreover, the remarkable library hosting papers and books of 17th-century is worth a visit. What gives village an unspeakable beauty is the tree-lined road starting almost from the square and ending at the national road of Tripoli-Vytina. Some of the main local products are honey from coniferous trees, meat, dairy products, etc.
If you stay in Vytina and you can visit many nearby destinations, such as Dimitsana, the gorge of Lousios, Stemnitsa and Lagadia. Furthermore, you can ascend the slopes of Mount Mainalo driving on a good asphalt road and reach the plateau of Ostrakina at an altitude of 1600 m. There, it is located a small ski resort centre.
Personalities
Many public personalities come from Vytina, such as Dimitrios Imbrohoris, a fighter of Greek revolution in 1821, Dimitrios Paparrigopoulos, father of the historian Constantine Paparrigopoulos, the lecturer Vasilios Oikonomidis, the geographer and traveler Panagiotis Potagos, the folklorist Panagiotis Papazifiropoulos, the national benefactor Panagiotis Triantafyllidis, the guardian Ioannis Dimakopoulos, the hero Kollias Vytiniotis and the mother of the fighter of the National Resistance Lakis Santa.