Mountainous Corinthia: Myths, Peaks and Lakes for an Autumn Escape

by · Greek City Times

CORINTHIA, October 2026 — Mountainous Corinthia makes an ideal short family escape in October, with stone villages, friendly trails and a lake of myths.

In mountainous Corinthia, children never have a dull moment. On Mount Ziria, also known as Kyllini, they can try walking, archery and mountain biking. At Lake Stymfalia, the local Environment Museum also mixes mythology with natural history.

Exploring the villages of mountainous Corinthia

Less than two hours’ drive from Athens, Trikala makes a perfect base for mountainous Corinthia, at about 900 metres beneath Ziria’s slopes. However, it is really three villages in one: Upper, Middle and Lower Trikala.

Start high, where poplars, cedars, plane trees and mulberries surround the upper quarter. During autumn, the changing leaves make this corner of mountainous Corinthia even more striking.

Read more: Small Cyclades: Four Quiet Islands Between Naxos and Amorgos

Once called Archontomachalas, this quarter keeps early 19th-century homes of wealthy families. Still, the Notaras family, with roots in Byzantine times, left the deepest mark here.

Their three-storey house holds listed monument status, yet it remains in ruins. Beside it stands the church of Saint Gerasimos Notaras, honouring the saint who came from Upper Trikala.

For coffee, sweets or a meal, the square of Middle Trikala fills with visitors every weekend. Its lanes also hide old churches, including the 18th-century Dormition of the Theotokos with its stone-built templon.

In Lower Trikala, huge plane trees shade another square, and stone fountains pour cool mountain water. From Middle Trikala, a road climbs to Karya, at about 1,300 metres, where a mid-19th-century church looks out over Ziria and Helmos.

Hiking and adventure on Mount Ziria

First, tell the children that the Flambouritsa valley splits the mountain in two. Megali Ziria peaks at 2,374 metres, while Mikri Ziria reaches 2,117 metres.

The higher massif also ranks as the second-highest mountain in the Peloponnese after Taygetos. Because of their rare biodiversity, its peaks and the Flambouritsa valley belong to the Natura 2000 network.

More than 1,000 plant species grow here, many endemic. Golden eagles, foxes, weasels and partridges also shelter in the valley.

In mountainous Corinthia, outdoor companies based in Trikala organise hiking, mountain biking, archery and climbing. Walking with experienced mountain guides is the safest option, especially with young children.

On your own, choose easier, well-marked trails. Signs give each route’s difficulty at the start, so you can judge whether it suits your family.

Most trails in mountainous Corinthia lie on Megali Ziria, and from Trikala you can walk towards Gymno and the Ziria plateau. Experienced hikers can then continue into the Flambouritsa valley or climb the highest peak, Simeio.

A seasonal lake and the cave of Hermes

Another option is the pretty village of Goura in mountainous Corinthia, with a stone square for coffee and sweets. From there, drive or walk to the Skafidia plateau, on the route to the summit.

At 1,480 metres lies Lake Dasiou, more accurately a polje: a shallow seasonal lake fed by melting snow and groundwater. It freezes in winter, but by spring and summer it shrinks or vanishes, leaving a meadow of wildflowers.

West of the Flambouritsa valley, at about 1,700 metres on Megali Ziria, opens the Cave of Hermes. According to tradition, the messenger god Hermes came into the world here, and the ancients honoured him with ceremonies and games.

Children can walk to the entrance and enjoy the view, but nobody can enter without special equipment. Organised descents with specialist caving teams take place only during the Ziria Festival.

Anna Petrocheilou and the Hellenic Speleological Society explored the cave, whose chambers brim with stalactites and stalagmites.

Hercules at Lake Stymfalia

Between Ziria and Mount Oligyrtos, Lake Stymfalia will enchant children who know the sixth labour of Hercules from school.

According to the myth, the Stymphalian birds had bronze beaks, metal feathers and powerful claws. Hiding in the reed beds, they attacked people and animals, destroying crops and flocks.

With Athena’s help, Hercules found a way to beat them. Hephaestus gave him bronze rattles, so the hero struck them on a hill near the lake and scared the birds into flight. He then shot most of them with poisoned arrows.

Today, Stymfalia ranks among the most important wetlands in Greece and belongs to Natura 2000. The Hellenic Ornithological Society also lists it as an Important Bird Area.

Dozens of migratory species stop here, including herons, ferruginous ducks and moorhens. In addition, the lake holds the tsironi, a small endemic fish that faces extinction.

A museum, birdwatching and a Frankish abbey

Built on a hillside, the Stymfalia Environment Museum serves as a model centre for environmental education in mountainous Corinthia. Its interactive exhibits show how people and nature interact through farming, herding and traditional trades.

Children especially love the open aquarium, a cross-section of the lake with live fish and water plants. The museum belongs to the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation museum network.

From the museum, you can cycle or drive a short loop of the lake, while marked trails suit family walks. Along the eastern shore towards Lafka, wooden platforms mark birdwatching points, so bring binoculars.

Finally, near the museum, mountainous Corinthia keeps the ruins of Zaraka Monastery, the only Frankish monastic complex in the region. Cistercian monks built it in the early 13th century, and its ruined three-aisled basilica stands beside a tower-like gateway.

Source: travel.gr

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