Keywords
Lefkes, Paros, Greece, travel, culture, history, food, tourism, creative retreat, local products
Summary
This conversation explores Lefkes, a creative retreat on the island of Paros, Greece. Monique Skidmore discusses its historical significance, vibrant culture, culinary delights, and local products. The conversation highlights the best times to visit, the unique architecture, and the rich heritage of the area, including its churches, monasteries, and the Museum of Popular Aegean Civilisation.
Takeaways
- Lefkes is a creative retreat for artists and writers.
- The best time to visit is during spring and late October.
- Walking the streets of Lefkes is a delightful experience.
- Local tavernas offer excellent traditional food.
- Shopping for local products supports the artistic community.
- The Byzantine road is a historic path worth exploring.
- Lefkas features significant Byzantine-style churches.
- The Museum of Popular Aegean Civilisation showcases local culture.
- The village is vibrant with flowers during Easter.
- Lefkes has a mix of neoclassical and traditional architecture.
Sound Bites
“Lefkas is a creative’s retreat.”
“Walking these colourful streets is the most pleasurable part of visiting Lefkes”
Timeline
00:00 – Introduction
00:54 – When to Visit Lefkes
01:49- The best things to do in Lefkes, Paros, Greece
03:52 – The Byzantine Road
04:41 – Churches, Monasteries, and Museums
Transcript
Introduction (00:00)
Stephen Parker: Welcome to the Take Me to Europe podcast with your host, cultural anthropologist Monique Skidmore.
Monique Skidmore: Hi, I’m Monique from Take Me to Europe Tours, and I’m in Paros, Greece.
Paros hides its traditions within its villages, and this is Leftkes, a small village about 10 kilometres inland from Paros. It’s the most popular day trip destination, and it’s a lovely village.
It’s also the beginning of the Byzantine route, where you can walk around a very ancient route and see Byzantine churches along the way.
So Lefkes Paros has a lovely view to the sea. It’s full of artisans, traditions, and museums that you can discover as you wander around through the windy and quite hilly streets of this lovely Parian village.
When to Visit Lefkes (00:54)
Monique Skidmore: Lefkes was the first capital of Paros. It was built in the 15th century away from the dangerous seashore where the dreaded Aegean pirates were raiding the coastal settlements.
Lefkes is a creatives’ retreat, with writers, poets, painters, and sculptors spending their time away from the crowds of the island’s coastal areas.
It’s become a super popular day trip destination and even a destination in its own right during the Easter holidays, when colourful flowers cover the surrounding fields.
I always try and avoid weekends. The most rewarding time to visit is during the spring, from late April, but also in late October, when the days are long and the visitors keep the village vibrant.
Let’s discover the best things to do in Lefkes.
The Best Things to Do in Lefkes, Paros, Greece (01:49)
Monique Skidmore: Contemporary Lefkes is a spectacular hilltop mix of long-gone imperial splendour, and it’s evident in its neoclassical revival houses and traditional island cubic architecture set along its narrow alleys.
Walking these colourful streets is the most pleasurable part of visiting Lefkes, where you can marvel at the street style of planting small trees, colourful flowers, and herbs in large tin containers that once held feta cheese. So, explore the streets and alleys of the village and enjoy the folk architecture.
Greek villages are all about drinking morning coffee in one of the cafes on the central town square. Lefkes Agia Triada Square is a colourful and intimate place to do that.
One of the main reasons tourists, but also Paros locals, visit Lefkes is the excellent food and the homey atmosphere in local tavernas. Go for zucchini balls with tzatziki, pastitsio, village-style sausages and fries with feta cheese, shrimp pasta, and handmade ice cream.
Secondly, visit some of the last windmills on Paros. The whitewashed windmills were operating in Paros well into the 1990s, when more modern methods were finally introduced.
These renovated windmills are dotted around the hills surrounding the village. Look for them right behind the village’s main church.
Thirdly, shop for local village products. The things you can pick up in Lefkes are handmade souvenirs and artisan products. Purchasing them enables the artistic and creative community here to survive.
You’ll find traditional straw and wood taverna dining chairs, contemporary design jewellery, and handmade and painted ceramics with traditional designs.
The Byzantine Road: (03:52)
Monique Skidmore: Next, walk the historic Byzantine Road from Lefkes Like most Greek islands, the mountain villages of Paros had their networks of pathways covering the island like a web, enabling quick transport between the fields, neighbouring villages, and ports.
One such path, existing for more than a thousand years, is the Byzantine Road connecting Lefkes with the traditional villages of Prodromos and Mapissa and going all the way to the sea near the beach of Piso Livadi.
Stone-covered donkey trails, stone bridges, terraced gardens, and medieval churches are common sights on these trails.
The hike is best enjoyed early in the morning, especially on hot summer days.
Churches, Monasteries, and Museums: (04:41)
Monique Skidmore: Fifth, explore the local churches and monasteries. The second most important Byzantine-style church on Paros is Agia Triada Church, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Lefkes.
The imposing building of fine white marble has reigned over the surrounding countryside since its construction in 1835. Two bell towers frame the front of the temple. The interior is impressive, styled in a three-aisle pattern, ending with an extraordinary altar.
The whitewashed monastery of St Kiriaki near the windmills of Lefkes, built in 1665, is a well-maintained example of medieval fortress monasteries in the Aegean Islands.
You can’t help but come across churches wherever you wander in Lefkes.
Finally, the Museum of Popular Aegean Civilization is inside the Lefkes Village Hotel. It’s a wonderful, informative folklore museum that is divided into several sections: the poetics of land, the poetics of craftsmanship, and the poetics of life celebrations. I think it’s the best way to complete your visit to lovely Lefkes.
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