A fine collection of world-class monuments, museum and architectural treasures, evocative monasteries, ancient ruins and modern cultural venues offer visitors a rich, diverse, and rewarding experience.
The city of Aigio is peppered with beautiful neoclassical buildings, including the Town Hall and the Municipal Library, charming nooks and crannies, such as the Psilalonia Square and the historic Dodeka Vrysses fountain complex, as well as architectural gems, including the Cathedral Church of Panagia Faneromeni designed by acclaimed German-born architect Ernst Ziller.
Must-visits include the Archaeological Museum of Aegio, a late 19th century neoclassical jewel designed by celebrated architect Ernst Ziller. Formerly the city’s municipal market, the museum is currently home to a fine collection of excavation finds from Aegialia dating from prehistoric to late Roman times. Not to be missed is also the Folklore Museum with exhibits tracing the city’s social and economic life from 1821 to 1950. Equally stimulating are smaller museums in the region housing religious and folk-art artifacts.
Imposing city cathedrals, intimate country chapels, places of pilgrimage tightly linked to the centuries-old Orthodox tradition, and historic monasteries nestled on verdant slopes or perched on precipitous cliffs, immerse travelers in an evocative atmosphere of unspoiled beauty and spiritual contemplation.
Panagia Trypiti, a majestic temple carved into a rock cave housing a miraculous icon of Virgin Mary, has been a popular Orthodox pilgrimage site for centuries. Likewise, Moni Taxiarchon (Monastery of the Archangels), a historic religious center founded in the 15th century, and the Monastery of St John the Evangelist, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Gulf of Corinth, attract faithful from around the globe. Just a short drive from Aegio, the imposing Mega Spileo (Great Cave), one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in the Greek Orthodox world, takes your breath away as it seems to be hanging on the edge of a rocky precipice.
Aegio showcases a vibrant contemporary scene, featuring musical and theatrical performances, art events, conferences, lectures, educational seminars, and creative employment programs hosted in modern facilities or restored historic buildings.
The Georgios Pappas open-air theater, the Polykentro conference center, the Alekos Megaris cultural hub, and the House of Arts and Letters of the historic Aegio Philharmonic spur the city’s social development while boosting the local economy by attracting visitors and tourists to the town. In nearby Akrata, the Municipal Gallery is known for housing a notable collection of contemporary Greek art, hosting well-organized cultural events, and mounting temporary shows by young artists.
The ancient theater of Aegira (photo above), a fascinating monument carved out of natural rock, and the evocative ruins of the legendary cities of Kyrenia and Eliki, which were destroyed by a devastating earthquake like the mythical Atlantis, offer valuable insights to the history and culture of ancient Aegialia.
Grigoriou E & Vasileos Konstantinou
25100 Egio
Greece
