PELOPONNESE - ACHAIA - Aigio - A Little Taste of Paradise

DESTINATIONS

Located on the northern coast of the Peloponnese, Aigio, once the centre of Greece’s rich currant export trade, has lots to offer in terms of history, sightseeing and cuisine.

When my husband asked me a decade ago about moving to Aigio, I had to ask where it was. As I now thankfully know, it is located in the most beautiful part of the Gulf of Corinth. For me it is also a place of inspiration, as I have written a book (both German and Greek versions are available) about the War of Independence, which also played out in the small city.

I was even more impressed when I learned about its rich history: it was first mentioned by Homer, who stated that this was the point where the Achaean fleet gathered for its journey to Troy. Pausanias rested here on his travels and has, over time, become identified with an enormous plane that has been standing for centuries at the seafront, awaiting visitors.

The nearby ancient city of Helike was destroyed in 373 BC by a gigantic earthquake and tsunami. Now an important archeological site, it has yielded key information as to how the ancients lived.

After the Fourth Crusade the area was conquered by the Franks, who founded the Principality of Achaia, one of three major vassal states of the Latin Empire. The Peloponnese still contains many castles that are silent remains and witnesses of this period. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann passed through Aigio on his way to Troy, where he would discover King Priam’s Treasure. In 1821, one of the first meetings of Filiki Eteria (the Greek secret organization whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule) took place in a house in Aigio that can still be seen. Many believe that Aigio, together with Kalamata, was the first Greek city to be liberated from centuries of Ottoman rule.