Ancient Gortyna
Ancient Gortyna was an important town of Arcadia in ancient times. According to the legends, the ancient city was built by Gortys, son of Stymfilos and great grandson of King Arcadas. From their founder took their names the city and river Lucius, which is called Gortynios River from ancient Gortyna to Alpheus River. The ancient city was built right next to the Lusius River, starting at an altitude of 340m. The city had a sanctuary Asklipieio, large spas - both famous throughout the Peloponnese - two strong fortification wall (citadels), and other sacred public buildings.
The spa was here directly connected with the cult of Asclepius. The citadels are dated from the 4th BC century and had very strong walls. Found themselves close to each other at an altitude of up to 480m. The archaeological finds from the region are dated from the Geometric times to the Byzantine period and show an important cultural activity in a long time period, but major in Classical and Hellenistic times.
The most important period of glory of the ancient city is located on the 4th BC century. Also, the excavations showed that the city was destroyed in the 12th century. From Gortyna passed the ancient road Olympia - Megalopolis - Mycenae - Canal - Athens that led to the ancient Olympia. From here, the Spartans athletes went to Olympia for the Olympics.
Monastery "Malevi"
The monastery of "Malevi" stands magnificent offering spiritual hospitality to the nuns who chose it as a place of prayer but also for hundreds of guests. The monastery is built on the slopes of Parnonas, few miles outside of St. Peter, among a forest of dendrokedra, unique in Greece. The name "Malevi" is the original location of the monastery's highest peak Parnon, in Malevi. The traditions show that the monastery was founded in place Channel in the 8th century and talk about the tragic fate of the monks who died in the heavy winter. The last of them, seeing that his end was approaching, he wrote a memo which concluded "die amid the acclamation of the trees."
The first movement of the monastery was in the early 14th century in place Pournaria. The second movement in the current position was in 1616.
During the revolution, the abbot Kallinikos Tsamouras becomes a member of the Friendly Society and, as an empirical doctor, helps wounded rebels found in the monastery and the Dimitrios Ypsilanti who went to the monastery for recovery from chronic tuberculosis. During the German occupation, german planes bombed the monastery because it hospitalized guerrillas acted in Parnonas. In 1949 the monastery was converted into a female and will come the first nuns of the "Top Chrepa".
Philosopher's Monastery
The Philosopher's Monastery, dedicated to the Assumption, built in a ravine of Lousios River on the west side of the gorge, 11 km southwest of Dimitsana and one and a half hours walk from the village.
The old monastery is the most historic and old monastery of Arcadia (10th century) and one of the older Byzantine monuments in Greece. According to tradition, it was founded in 963 by John Lampardopoulos, the so-called "philosopher", secretary of the emperor Nikiforos Fokas. The monastery took its name from the founder. The monastery is known as "Secret School" because according to tradition, it worked there a school that later evolved - New Monastery - in a major priestly school. The monastery flourished in the 17th century when it was built the New Monastery, but without abandoning the old.
The new monastery was founded in the 17th century (1691) at a distance of about four hundred meters from the old monastery and in an easier position. From the middle of the 17th century, the "Dimitsana School", Gortynia clergy school, was operating there, one of the most important schools of priests. From the new monastery now is saved the handsome church of the Assumption, which saves many paintings of the 17th century.
Visitors have access to the Old Philosopher's Monastery from a trail that starts from New Philosopher's Monastery. The trail passes next to the old monastery and, after crossing the Lousios Bridge, it reaches the Monastery of the Baptist.
Archaeological Museum of Tripoli
It is housed in a two-storey neoclassical building, designed by architect Ernest Tsiller. It contains finds from excavations of ancient places in Arcadia. It includes Neolithic and Helladic objects and utensils from recent excavations at Sakovouni Kamenitsa Arcadia, and a rich collection from Palaiokastro Gortyna from mykinaikes times. Also, there are displayed findings of Geometric years from cemeteries in Mantinia and pottery, sculptures and reliefs by the Ancient to Roman times from Arcadia areas. It boasts a unique collection in Greece with idols from Helladic years from Sakovouni, as the seated statue of a goddess (possibly Athena) from Asea and findings of the 15-year excavation in the Villa of Herodes Atticus in Loukous Kinouria. There are also findings of Early Christian and Early Byzantine times.
Stemnitsa Folklore Museum
The Folklore Museum of Stemnitsa was created in 1985, as a non-profit institution, with the private initiative and expense of John and Irene Savvopoulou. The Folklore Museum is housed in two buildings, of which the first is a three storey house of 18th century, formerly home of George Hatzis, which was ceded to the Community of Stemnitsa and then to the Foundation under the name "Folklore Museum of Stemnitsa" to work as a museum. In 1995, the second building was built with traditional building terms at the expense of: John and Irene Savvopoulou, Panayiotis Angelopoulos and John Martin.
In the Folklore Museum are presented representations of traditional laboratories, the inside of a Stemnitsa house, post-Byzantine icons, metalwork, pottery, woodwork, embroidery, costumes, church utensils, shadow play figures sculpted by Lambros Karadimas.
The Artificial Lake of Ladonas
The Artificial Lake of Ladonas was created in 1955 with the construction of the dam of DEH (120km. from Tripoli) into a ravine in the mountain Aphrodisios at 420m. altitude and has declared as an ecological park. The maximum length is at 5km. and its capacity to 49 million m3. An attraction of the area is the bridge of Kyra in the village Mouria flooded by the waters of the dam and occurs only during the summer months. In the beautiful mountain forests the goddess Venus met her illegal lover, god Mars.
Ladonas River is a tributary of the Alpheus and took its name from the Biotian River Ladonas when in the region became residents from Viotia. When Panas saw the beautiful bride, he chased her, and she asked river Ladonas to help her and he turned into a stubble. Panas cut some reeds and formed his own musical instrument, which was called syringe.
The Cuckoo Bridge
The Cuckoo Bridge is located in the narrow rocky passage of Alpheus, in Maratha (Vlachorrafti). Previously, it facilitated communication between the villages of the western Gortynia with Andritsaina. It was built in 1880, it is arched and its height is 34 meters.
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