The first eminent, if I may say so, resident Lemnos islands was the god Hephaestus, whom his mother Hera threw from Olympus as a child. The Cynthians, then living on the island, saved him, and in gratitude he taught them blacksmithing. It was on Lemnos that the forge of Hephaestus was located, and a fire was always burning in its furnace.
If we turn from myths to history, then we can find out that the island was inhabited even in the Neolithic era. This is proved by the ruins of the city of Poliochni, founded in the 4th millennium BC. Around 1000 BC there are two largest cities Lemnos - Hephaestia and Myrina (now the capital of the island). After it was conquered by the Persians, and then, in 500-499 BC, the Greeks came. Over the next thousand years, Lemnos alternately fell under the influence of the Spartans, Macedonians, Romans, when the Roman Empire began to expand, and in the 5th century AD, the island became the granary of Constantinople. Under the rule of Byzantium, the city of Kotzinas was built on the site of Hephaestia.
In the 15th century, first, the Order of St. Mary of Bethlehem, whose residence was Lemnos, and then the Venetians, under whose control the island came after, fortified the island with fortresses to protect it from pirates and Turks. One of the fortresses was located in Mirin ( Genoese fortress Castro), the second - near the city of Kotzinas. And yet, by the end of the century, the Ottoman Empire established its rule on the island.
The history of Lemnos has many pages in common with the history of the Russian state, however, the pages are more and more gloomy. In 1770, after a crushing victory by the Turks at Chesma, a squadron under the command of Count Alexei Orlov drove the Turks from Lemnos and freed its inhabitants. The troops of the Ottoman Empire took refuge in the Castro fortress, but they did not manage to hold out for a long time. The inhabitants of Lemnos welcomed the liberation from the yoke of the Turks. Unfortunately, there was no way to defend the island with the remaining forces against the many ships pulled by the enemy to its shores. The squadron was forced to leave Lemnos.
However, in 1807, the Russian fleet under the command of Admiral Dmitry Senyavin won the battle between the shores of Lemnos and the Agios Oros peninsula, which went down in history as the Athos. From now on, the Turks had no power over the Aegean Sea.
In 1912 Lemnos finally became part of Greece. During the First World War, the Entente troops were located on the island; it was to them that the troops of the White Army sailed to seek refuge after the revolution. However, due to political turmoil, tired and sick Cossacks and officers with their families and children were not given any help, for a long time they were not even allowed to go ashore. The losses were enormous, and Lemnos remained in the memory of the emigrants “ Russian Golgotha».
In 1941, the island was captured by the troops of Nazi Germany, but the people, who managed to carry their faith and internal freedom through centuries of enslavement, organized resistance. In 1944, the German garrison fled the island, unable to resist the Greek soldiers.
Attractions of the island of Lemnos
Myrina, the port and capital of the island, was named after the wife of the first king of Lemnos. The city stretches from one side of the bay to the other, and the castle of Castro rises above it. It is a pleasure to walk along the streets of Mirina, it is interesting to visit the archaeological museum, which is located on the embankment of the Romeikos Yialos bay.
Poliochni is considered one of the most ancient cities in Europe. It is believed that Poliochni was a serious trade rival of Troy itself, but he could not stand the competition even around 2000 BC. fell into decay. Its ruins were discovered by Italian archaeologists. Now Poliochni has the status of the Cultural Park of Europe.
Mount Despotis stands near the village of Kotsinas. According to legend, it is under it that the forge of Hephaestus is located. Also noteworthy is the sanctuary of the Kabirs, ancient deities who had the power to relieve troubles and dangers, who were born on the island. These are the ruins of buildings from the 7th-6th centuries BC. in the northeast of Lemnos. In the ruins, which were once halls, the mysteries of the Kabir took place.
The Christian patron saint of Lemnos is the holy martyr Sozont. The saint has never been to Lemnos, but since the island is famous for sheep breeding, he, as the patron saint of shepherds and herders, became the patron saint of Lemnos in Byzantine times. The most famous shrine of Lemnos is the myrrh-streaming icon of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George in the church of the village of Kaliopi. She was pacified in the second half of the 18th century after a vision local residents, as if a horseman in a red cloak and with a spear galloped through the village, drove into the churchyard and disappeared.
Russian Lemnos
Lemnos is closely connected with Russian history, and there are places on it that remember Russian speech. For example, the area of Mirina, which bears the informal name "Tsast", is nothing more than a changed "unit", since it was here that the units of Count Orlov's squadron were stationed. In honor of him and Admiral Dmitry Senyavin in 2004, a monument was unveiled on the embankment, because thanks to them, the Greeks were able to throw off the Turkish yoke.
In the harsh 1920s, the city of Mudros became a haven for Wrangel's army. It houses the Annunciation Church, in which, at the insistence of the Greeks, a service was conducted for the exiles from Russia in the Church Slavonic language. Since life was very difficult, and the Entente units that were then on the island looked more like warders, not allies, religion and the support of co-religionists helped the officers and Cossacks of the White Army to survive on the island. Rarely did our compatriots manage to go to the nearest Greek villages, but when they succeeded, grateful residents treated them heartily. In the suburb of Mudros there is a Cossack, better known as Russian, cemetery, restored in 2004.
Since the same 2004, "Russian Days" have been held annually on Lemnos. The Russian delegation comes to the island to honor the memory of Russian refugees who died on the island, as well as the dead sailors of the squadrons of Count A. Orlov and Admiral D. Senyavin, who, together with the Greek population and clergy, liberated the island from the Turks in 1770 and 1807.
Lemnos island or Limnos is located in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. To the north is the island of Samothraki, to the south is the small islet of Agios Efstratios, and to the east is the island of Tenedos, which now belongs to the territory of Turkey. The island of Lemnos is of volcanic origin. It is, of course, not as green as the neighboring Sporades or Thassos, but also not as scorched as the Cyclades. There are no mountains on Lemnos, rather low hills. If you get to the island in spring, you will be amazed at how blooming and fragrant it is! In general, compared to other Greek islands, Lemnos is not so popular in the tourism industry, which makes it ideal place for a quiet secluded getaway. Do you like to see only a few people on the beach in August? Then go to Limnos!
The lack of a large number of tourists gives Lemnos a special charm - this is real Greece. The island's infrastructure is certainly not as well developed as on Crete or Rhodes. But for comfortable rest Lemnos has it all: good hotels, attractions, restaurants, cafes and traditional shops. There is another attractive moment (including for photographers) - the sunset overlooking the holy Mount Athos. In good weather, Mount Athos can be seen very clearly directly from Mirina. For better view you can climb the rock dividing the city in half with a fortress and roe deer living there.
According to the legends Ancient Greece, Lemnos island belonged to Hephaestus - the god of fire. He was born ugly and lame, for which his mother Hera threw the child from Olympus, and he fell exactly on Lemnos. The inhabitants of the island saved Hephaestus, for which he thanked them by giving fire and creating a forge. In addition, ancient myths connect the island with such heroes as Hercules, Odysseus, Minos, Aphrodite, Amazons and Argonauts with their famous leader Jason.
Getting to Lemnos is not difficult by sea and air, but the frequency of flights, of course, is not as saturated as to other more popular Greek islands. At the airport of the island, located in its very center, planes from Athens land every day, flights to the island of Lesvos and the city of Thessaloniki, as well as European charters, are added during the season. Most of the European tourists are Italians and French. Car rental is easy at Lemnos Airport. Of course, there is also a sea connection - the port is located in the capital of the island - the city Mirina... From here, ferries depart every day that connect Lemnos with the ports of the Aegean Sea: Thessaloniki, Kavala, Mytilene (Lesvos), Chios, Samos, Lavrio (Athens). The main carrier is the ferry company NEL Lines. There is also a small ferry to the neighboring island of Agios Efstratios.
The island's climate is the most typical for the Mediterranean. The tourist season is considered the period from May to October - at this time the air temperature here is kept at around +26 ... + 28 degrees. In winter, the island is somewhat cooler - about 5-10 degrees with a plus sign.
Though Lemnos not crowded with tourists, there are beaches that are considered to be among the best in the northeast of the Aegean Sea. Suffice it to cite the fact that being the eighth largest island in Greece, Limnos is the fourth largest Greek island in terms of beach length. Many of them are located in the vicinity of the capital - Avlonas, which is distinguished by its unique cleanliness, Thanos Beach, famous for its amazing panoramas and landscapes, the well-equipped Platy Beach (probably the most crowded) and Romaikos Yialos with a lot of active water entertainment... If you choose beaches east coast Lemnos, then this will be exactly the option that we wrote about at the very beginning - there are very few people even at the height of the season. We are talking about the beaches of Agios Ioannis, Keros, Makrys Yalos, Louri. What most of the Lemnos beaches have in common is the answer to the eternal question "Where are the sandy beaches in Greece with a gentle slope into the sea?" :)
The choice of accommodation on Lemnos is classic for Greece, but with an emphasis on simpler types of accommodation - small hotels and apartments. Good quality hotels include Porto Plaza Hotel, Varos Village, Lemnos Village Resort Hotel and Porto Myrina Palace Hotel.
Like any other greek island Lemnos can offer holidaymakers its own selection of local products that stand out from other regions of Greece. First of all, of course, Lemnos' fault. Probably, there is no more aromatic white dry and dessert wines in Greece than the wines of the island of Lemnos! It is characteristic that many large wine companies of mainland Greece own vineyards of "Alexandrian Muscat" on the island, which makes it possible to find brands of Limnos wines in the collections of such producers as Butaris and Tsandalis. Even such a popular Greek wine with resin as "retsina" on Limnos is of such quality that it can be drunk without dilution, as is usually done with other brands of "retsina". Another excellent product of Lemnos is the local feta cheese called "kalafaki". The cheese ripens in baskets leaving a characteristic pattern. Actually, in Greek "kalafi" is translated as a basket. Unlike other varieties of feta, "kalafaki" has a more delicate, refined taste. And finally, halva. If you have already tasted the Greek halva made from sesame seeds, then the local halva under the brand name "Achiladelis" will pleasantly surprise you with its exquisite taste.
Since ancient times, the island was located at the intersection of sea routes - this is what brought here whole crowds of conquerors. Archaeologists have proven that the island has been inhabited since the end of the Stone Age. This is evidenced by the ruins of the ancient city of Poliochni, built in 4 centuries BC. People have lived here for 2500 years and Poliochni is considered one of the oldest organized settlements in Europe. Now these ruins are the main attraction of the island.
If we talk about the history of the island of Lemnos, then one cannot fail to mention the connection with Russia, the Russian fleet, the Cossacks and the white emigration. These are the valiant and woeful pages of the joint history of Russia and Greece in the 18th and 20th centuries. By virtue of its geographic location the island of Lemnos has often become the backdrop of naval historical events. In particular, the squadrons of Count Alexei Orlov and Vice Admiral Dmitry Senyavin fought here with the Turks. 72 Russian sailors are buried on Lemnos and there is a memorial stone in Mirin. But the events of a century ago are more sad, when in the 1920s more than 30 thousand Russian soldiers and officers passed through Lemnos - first as participants in the First World War, and then as part of a wave of white emigration. At least half a thousand people, mostly Cossacks, found their last refuge on Lemnos. Thanks to the painstaking work of diplomats, descendants of emigrants and just volunteers in the archives of Russia, Greece and Great Britain, it was possible to restore many names and titles of Russians buried in Limnos. Today, you can visit three dozen graves at the allied cemetery in Mudros. Every year "Russian days" are held on the island, members of the youth detachment of the Novospassky monastery "Lemnos", representatives of the Russian Cossacks, come. The famous director Nikita Mikhalkov made the film "The Island of Lemnos. Russian Golgotha" from the series "Russians without Russia". In the local museum of the village of Portiano, there are some exhibits of the everyday life of Russian Cossacks.
Lemnos island on the interactive map:
photos of the website limnosreport.gr, mylemnos.gr and the Russian Embassy in Greece
Lemnos (Λήμνος) is a Greek volcanic island in the Aegean Sea. The island itself lacks tourist fame, which gives it even more charm: a quiet almost family holiday, authentic Greece without tourist glamor, and at the same time there is everything for a comfortable stay: good hotels, a lot of attractions, shops and restaurants.
In Greek mythology, Lemnos was known as the island of Hephaestus, the god of fire. Being an ugly and lame child, according to legend, he was thrown by his mother the Hero from Olympus to the land of the island of Lemnos. Its inhabitants saved Hephaestus, and in gratitude he gave them fire and created a forge. In addition, the island is associated by mythology with Hercules, Odysseus, King Minos, Aphrodite, the famous Amazons and Argonauts led by Jason. It is believed that the Minians originated from the union of the Amazons and Argonauts.
Book great deals in Greece with promotions: right now! Direct discounts from hotels up to 30%. Save with Pegas Touristik, tours to Greece -
Warm summer in popular resorts: Crete and Rhodes from the travel agency Pegas Touristik WTC LLC. online 24/7. Installment at 0%.
How to get there
The domestic airport, with daily flights from Athens, is located in the center of the island. There is also air traffic with Thessaloniki and Lesvos. You can also get here by sea: the port is located in the southern part of the island's capital, the city of Mirina. There is a daily ferry service connecting the area with Piraeus, Rafina, Lesvos, Chios, Kavala, Psara, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Samothraki, Patmos, Skyros and the southern neighbor of Agios Efstratios.
Search for flights to Athens (closest airport to Lemnos)
Weather in Lemnos
The climate on the island is typically Mediterranean. The tourist season lasts from May to October: in summer the temperature is + 26-28 ° С, in winter it drops to + 5-10 ° С.
Beaches
Although not the most popular tourist destination in Greece, Lemnos has excellent beaches, some of the best in the northeastern Aegean. Most of them are located in the vicinity of Mirina: surrounded by volcanic rocks Agios Ioannis, pure Avlonas, picturesque Thanos Beach, perfectly equipped Platy Beach and Romaikos Yialos, where active vacationers have a lot of opportunities for activities aquatic species sports.
Lemnos island
Hotels and apartments in Lemnos
On Lemnos you can stay both in hotels and in numerous rooms, apartments and houses rented by private owners. There is a surprisingly low crime rate here, therefore, an obstacle to such accommodation can only be a tourist's ignorance of the Greek language and the inability to express themselves by the owners in his native or international English.
Since the time of Aristotle, the Muscat wine of Lemnos has been known, who considered it the best wine in Greece. It is made from a very ancient grape variety - Limnyo.
Lemnos entertainment and attractions
The island's unique position at the crossroads of sea routes throughout its history has brought many conquerors here. Archaeological excavations showed that it had been inhabited since the middle of the Neolithic. This is evidenced by the remains ancient city Poliochni in the southeastern part of the island, founded in the 4th millennium BC. It has been inhabited for 2.5 millennia and is considered the oldest organized settlement in Europe. Among other ancient settlements of the island, the remains of the sacred structures of the Kabirs are known, dating back to the 1st millennium BC. e., and the city of Hephaestia 5th century BC. e.
Mirina
The capital of the island, the city of Mirina was founded by the Persians in the 6th century. BC e. Its name comes from the name of the wife of the first king of Lemnos. On a peninsula near modern capital the abandoned Byzantine (Genoese) fortress of Castro has been preserved. On the opposite hill, across the harbor bay, there is an Orthodox Greek church. On the embankment of the city there is a monument to the Russian naval commanders Alexei Orlov and Dmitry Senyavin, in the 18-19th centuries. liberated Lemnos from the Turkish yoke. Here, on the embankment, there is an interesting archaeological museum, testifying to rich history islands.
The island's unique position at the crossroads of sea routes throughout its history has brought many conquerors here.
Mudros
Mudros, the second port and the former capital of the island, is located 27 km southeast of Mirina on the shores of the bay of the same name. Among the sights of the city, the Annunciation Church and the Cossack cemetery, restored several years ago, stand out.
Poliochni
At 33 km from Mirina and 9 km from Mudros, there is Poliochni, called the most significant archaeological site of Lemnos. Here was the oldest Neolithic settlement of the Aegean basin, which arose around the 4th millennium BC. e. This place has been awarded the status of the Cultural Park of Europe.
Cocinas
In the north of the island, inside the Bay of Bournias, the Kotsinas fishing harbor and the eponymous medieval fortress... Near Kotsinas stands Mount Despotis, identified with the ancient hero Mosichl and the volcano.
Quite large in size and in importance for agriculture and defense, the island of Lemnos (the modern Greek name of Limnos) until the 1990s was not very much associated with attracting tourists, since it is on the outskirts, and the schedule of ferries visiting its ports is rather peculiar. The advent of mass tourism was late, but the islanders were quite satisfied with the earnings that they received in the relatives of the soldiers who served here: the soldiers were often visited - the family ties of the Greeks are strong.
Even now, in the summer, it is mainly Greeks who travel to Lemnos, primarily from, although the locals are gradually getting used to the Danes, British, Austrians and Italians, who appeared as soon as charter flights gained some kind of regularity. Accommodation is offered quite tolerable, although the price is overstated, and people with backpacks behind their backs are openly daring.
Bucolic Lemnos has clearly become fashionable lately: there are many souvenir shops, including high-end ones, village houses are being restored by mainland Greeks (and foreigners) and are turning into summer cottages, and in summer almost on every beach from noon to midnight, and then and almost until the morning music is heard rumbling in some kind of bar. Because of Lemnos, the governments of Greece and Turkey fought for a long time and more than once. From time immemorial insisted on the demilitarization of the island, and the Turkish plane now and then invaded the airspace of Greece (over Lemnos), and in response, the planes of a squadron of the Greek Air Force rose into the sky from the Lemnos airfield.
And in the 1980s, when relations between neighbors became extremely aggravated, up to 25 thousand troops were stationed on Lemnos. Now there are no more than 6 thousand of them, and the contingent, after refusing to be drafted into the army, continues to decline, and almost all camps, barracks and training grounds (but not the Air Force base) are closed. The bays of Bournja and Mudros divide Lemnos almost exactly in half, and Mudros is one of the largest natural harbors on the Aegean shores. The west of the island strikes with bare mountain slopes, and from basalt, which is abundant there, they build walls and pave the streets with them. Like almost all other volcanic islands, Lemnos is famous for its winemaking: dry - white and rosé wines are good, the quality of retsina is also high, and Condias also drives ouzo.
The low-lying east is dotted with swamps that duck hunters love, unless they are scared away by grazing cattle or working agricultural machinery - large areas are occupied by pastures and fields, cereals, grapes and other crops are cultivated. From the sea it may seem that Lemnos is a flat wasteland without trees, but this is not so: in the center of the island there are many rounded hills, the slopes of which, except perhaps the very top, are covered with vegetation, oaks, poplars, mulberry trees, almonds, jujube, and myrtle grow ... The island is indeed dry, and water for irrigation is taken from deep wells and boreholes, and few springs with drinking water flow only in the west.
Streams and temporary streams (for example, spring) carry sand to the sea, and along coastline there are many long sandy beaches, so it's not hard to find a braid to your liking. The bays near the coast are very shallow, and the depth grows very slowly, so there is no need to be afraid of children, and the water warms up quickly - as soon as a hint of spring appears, and cold currents are found only where streams flow into the sea. There are also few jellyfish - but sometimes they still come from the Dardanelles and annoy the bathers.
Western part of the island of Lemnos
In addition to quite decent city beaches near Mirina itself, the closest good sand to the city can be found 3 kilometers to the north, on the Avlonas coast. Behind this beach the road bifurcates: if you take to the right, you will pass through Kaspakas with a hundred neat tiers of houses facing the north and a spring with drinking water gushing on the right square (but there is no tavern on the square), and then dive downhill and see Agios Ioannis, much easier and get faster on the new bypass road. Studios are also rented here and taverns work, of which the most noticeable (end of June - end of August) is in the shade of volcanic boulders perched on top of each other, but the beach behind it is not the best: the southwestern wind blows all the time, and everything around much like a huge construction site.
Less ordinary rinses and dishes await you a little to the east. The old Ottoman baths in Therma have been renovated and operate in the style of a modern spa, with all the services and therapies relying on the waters of the resort - but you can limit yourself to swimming with hydromassage (daily 10: 00-14: 00 and 17: 00-19: 00; 12 €). Another 7 kilometers to the north is the highest village on the island - Sardes - and its famous Man-Tella tavern (all year round; lunch and dinner): portions are generous and filling, so come hungry and in season a table in the pleasant garden is recommended book well in advance.
Outside the village of Sardes and after the villages of Daphne and Catalakkos, 5 kilometers below Catalakkos, you will follow numerous signs to an unusual and very catchy sight - a cluster of dunes in Gomati. A similar landscape is found in Greece, but in few places it occupies such a vast area. Two zones are distinguished: one near the mouth of the river and a swamp where many birds nest, the other in the northwest. Although the area is windy and lacking in amenities, it can get crowded.
From Plati village to Paleo Pedino
The appearance of Plati (2 kilometers southeast of Mirina) is spoiled by a construction site: all kinds of villas are being built. The same attack that torments other villages on the island, but there are two popular night taverns. Much better than the other - Sozos y main square, but if you visit it during the season and as part of a group, then book tables in advance. The menu has become noticeably scarce since Sozosa himself was killed, such an accident happened, but his daughter maintains the same - huge - portion sizes and the previous prices for her grilled dishes, salads and some mayireftas, for example, dolmades, and so that you do not choke on dry water, they will bring you tsipouro or local draft wine. A long sand beach 700 meters downhill we love vacationers: there are conditions for water sports (non-motorized).
Apart from Mark Warner's estate (you can't see it from here - the tycoon built his houses on the southern end of the beach), the local area remains (for now) quite rural: sheep stagger back and forth in the morning and at sunset. On the shore, a good and popular tavern is Grigoris, with fish on occasion. The hotel itself high level in the vicinity, if not on the island at all, is Villa Afroditi (mid May - early October) with a delightful trimmed garden, a wonderful bar and some of the best breakfasts on the island. Completely refurbished in 2007 when a new wing was added, it offers standard double rooms and two-room apartments.
After another 2 kilometers to the southeast, you will find yourself in Thanos, the same Plati, but bigger and richer in architecture, and on the eastern edge of the village Nikos Dimu will settle you in a kind of traditional, but high-level bungalow. 1.5 kilometers from the village, quaint volcanic boulders approach the Paralia Tanus beach, one of the most impressive in the southwest of Lemnos - and in the afternoon, if it's a clear day, you can see the island of Agios Efstratios. Accommodation for a reasonable price, coupled with a lush garden and views of the sunset promises Villa Thanos Beach, and the food is good (service, however, is more) in the Yiannakaros tavern, and its bar amicably shares the beach with the neighboring one.
After Thanos, the road turns to the huge beach of Evgatis (Agios Pavlos), which is reputed to be the best on the island, with rocky peaks - evidence of past volcanic activity. And here the loungers are run by a couple of musical cantin bars (kandina), while the Evgatis hotel across the street has a full-fledged tavern. Further, about 3 kilometers, (11 kilometers from the capital of the island -) behind the largest coniferous forest in Lemnos in the saddle between two hills nestles Kondyas, the third largest village on the island.
Stone, often intricate houses, a line windmills, already, however, without blades, and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes - all this is enough for Condias to be perceived as the most attractive place in the Lemnos outback, and realizing this, many Greeks and foreigners buy out beautiful old houses and restore them according to their taste and understanding ( with this, of course, it happens in different ways). Of cultural interest is the collection of the Central Gallery of Balkan Art (Pinakothiki Valkanikis Tekhnis; daily except Friday 10: 00-14: 00 and 19: 30-21: 30), which was formed as a result of a local program in 2005, when famous artists from the Balkan the peninsula, especially the Bulgarian Svetlin Rusev, donated their works, creating the core of the collection (a second action is planned).
But it is difficult to satisfy the current pressing needs here: only the Gallini tavern, where food of average quality is served on tables under mulberries. Much better in the 2.5 kilometers away place of Tsimandrya, where in the tavern ly Kali Kardhia in the central square they offer inexpensive, healthy dishes from the grill and some seafood. In Paleo Pedino, 5 kilometers northeast, Petrino Horio (lunch only, late June-August) serves delicious meat on a stone-paved square. Another 1 kilometer away in Neo Kutali, there is a tavern ly Glaroupoula (lunch only) - despite its location far from the coast, it has an abundance of seafood.
Eastern part of the island of Lemnos
The shores of Mudros Bay, gleaming south of the island-wide highway, are muddy and waterlogged, so you should avoid them unless you are a clam hunt or a mud rake tribe. The bay itself gained fame during the First World War: on October 30, 1918, a document on the surrender of the Ottoman Empire was signed on the deck of the British ship Agamemnon. The second city and main cargo port of Lemnos, Mudros, is a squalid place, and there is nothing to see in it, except for its delightful, shamelessly noisy gruff church with two bell towers, as well as two hotel taverns, which are too overpriced to recommend it.
From nice beaches the closest is Hawuli, 4 kilometers south along a dirt road, and the recently cleaned Fanaraki, 4 kilometers west, but on both the sand is wet and dirty, and there is no real outlet to the open sea. Further down the road, Ayia Triada, which can be reached from the road to Poliochni, has white sand, dunes and candina. About 800 meters along the road to Russopuli is the Allied War Cemetery (not fenced off), maintained by the Commonwealth of Nations War Cemetery Commission: neat lawns and rows of white gravestones look strange against the backdrop of the surrounding parched landscape.
The Gulf of Mudros in 1915, during the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign, became the main theater of military operations. Then about 36 thousand soldiers from the Allied army died, and of them are buried here - mainly those who died in the Mudros hospital, where they were evacuated, having been wounded in battles. Another 348 graves are located in another, also signposted and equally impeccably maintained, cemetery of the Entente, behind the church on the hill in Portiano. In Kallopi, 8 kilometers northeast of Mudros, behind Kondopouli, good rooms are rented: contact Keros, from where the dirt road begins to the Keros beach, the best in this part of the island, but not sheltered from the winds and often muddy.
A 1.5 km long sandy spit with dunes, coniferous groves and shallow waters near the coast attracts a fraction of the Greek and foreign tourists arriving in cars with caravans and windsurfing boards. The little kandina gives out sunbeds, but only in July and August. On the other side of Kondopuli, on the coast of the western branch of the Bournja Bay, sheltered from the winds, there is a cramped Kotsinas beach - it is easier to get there through the village of Repanidi.
On the nearby marina (the path to it is signposted to the Kotsinas Fortress), a couple of crowded taverns strictly specializing in seafood, the more expensive Mourayio has better food and service than the coastal Koralli. On a hill near the pier there is a monument: a rusty statue of a woman with a saber. This is Marula, the heroine of the Genoese era, who postponed the Ottoman conquest for several years. Nearby is the large church of Zoodochu Piiis (Life-Giving Spring), there is nothing special in it, but next to it are 63 steps leading through an illuminated tunnel to this very spring with drinking (albeit slightly mineralized) water flowing under the arches of a cool cave.
Archaeological sites on the island of Lemnos
Evidence of the most advanced Neolithic civilization in the Aegean has been unearthed at Polyokhni, 3 kilometers from the gully village of Kaminya (7 kilometers east of Mudros). Excavations were carried out on a cliff overhanging a long, narrow beach between river valleys. The Italians have excavated five cultural layers since the 1930s, and the oldest dates back to the 4th millennium BC - therefore, Polyokhni is older than Troy (it stood on the opposite bank, now Turkish). The city died suddenly and painfully around 2100 BC from war or an earthquake.
The ruins (Tuesday-Sunday 9: 00-15: 00; free) are signposted and self-explanatory, but perhaps only of interest to specialists, although the bouleuterion (meeting house), residential building and land-facing fortifications are impressive. A small but well-organized museum behind a kiosk at the entrance helps to breathe some life into the site. Other ancient monuments of Lemnos - Hephaestia and Kabirion - can be reached through the village of Kondopuli: both places are far from conventional routes, and you need your own transport to visit these sites.
Hephaestia (the modern Greek name of Ifestia; Tuesday-Sunday 9: 00-15: 00), 4.5 kilometers from Kondopuli along a dirt track marked with signs, thanks to the resumption of excavations in 2001, will show you a beautifully restored theater overlooking the former ancient harbor. In Kabirion - on the signs there is also “Kabiri / Cabeiroi (the modern Greek name is Kavirion), which is on the opposite bank of the Tigani Bay, an asphalt road leads, and the ruins are more interesting. The ruins (Tuesday-Sunday 8: 30-15: 00; free) are primarily the ruins of a temple associated with the worship of the Samothrace Kabirs, although the Lemnos site appears to be older.
Only a few survived, mainly the foundations, but the general plan of the building that is guessed makes a deep impression. From the stand, 11 fragments of columns remained behind eight patches, designated as the bases of the columns in the "telestirio" - this is the name of the sanctuary in which religious mysteries (sacraments) were performed. In the sea grotto nearby, they identified the cave of Philoctetes (Spilia tu Philoktiti), described by Homer, in which the hero of the Trojan War Philoctetes lay down: the Achaeans left their comrade-in-arms in this pit, hoping that the fetid wound on the fighter's leg would heal over time. Steps lead to the cave from the land side, from the watchman's booth, but the last meters have to be forded.
In contact with
