Lesvos has the energy to inspire you, to make you look deep inside yourself and reinvent yourself.
Such is the magnificence of this piece of land, a true Aegean mosaic with many hidden secrets that will amaze you again and again as you discover them one by one…
Lesvos is truly a hidden gem of the Aegean, waiting for you to uncover it. Starting from Mythimna, or as it is called today, Molyvos, our journey on Lesvos began with eight journalists from some of Greece’s leading media outlets.
Arrival in Mytilene, the capital of the island
The undisputed hallmark of Mytilene’s architectural identity is the exquisite mansions that adorn the town, testimony to the economic prosperity of the past. Most of them were built at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century by wealthy merchants, who, taking advantage of the island’s key commercial position between East and West, accumulated great wealth through their trading activities.
Visit to Mantamados
The charming village of Mantamados lies on the northeastern side of the island, in a valley not visible from the sea, 37 kilometers north of Mytilene. It was created by the merging of several coastal settlements in the area, as a result of repeated pirate raids during the Middle Ages.
Mantamados is renowned for its excellent agricultural and livestock products, as well as its dairy products such as Ladotyri, Graviera, fresh Myzithra and Feta cheese, and yogurt prepared in the authentic way in traditional clay pots, known as “gragoudes.” In addition, it is a famous center for pottery and folk art.
Walking through the streets of Mantamados, we discovered traditional pottery shops with potters working at their wheels, creating or painting new works of art in their renowned workshops.
Stop at the Monastery of Saint Raphael
Built on the olive-covered hill of Karyes, it is one of the island’s best-known places of worship. The present monastery was constructed in the 1960s on the foundations of an older one, which had operated during two different periods of the Byzantine era and was completely destroyed by the Ottomans in 1463.
https://www.ieramoni-agiou-rafail.gr/
Visit to the Monastery of Taxiarchis
Legend has it that the old monastery was looted by Saracen pirates towards the end of the first millennium. All the monks were slaughtered, except for a novice, Gabriel. As the pirates were leaving, the novice climbed onto the roof of the monastery to make sure they were gone. However, they spotted him from afar and returned to kill him.
At this point in the story, the Archangel Michael performed his miracle. The roof of the church turned into a stormy sea, and the Archangel’s sword burst into flames as his fearsome form appeared. His sudden apparition terrified the Saracens, who fled in fear, allowing the young monk to survive. Out of deep reverence, the novice collected the soil soaked with the blood of his martyred brothers, made clay, and crafted a relief icon depicting the gentle face of the Archangel. Its dark, blood-red hue has remained unchanged and vivid to this day, defying the passage of time and decay, as it can still be seen displayed inside the church.
https://www.taxiarhismantamadou.gr/
Coffee and loukoumades in the courtyard of the Monastery of Taxiarchis