In the Mountains of Corinth

Less than three hours from Athens by car is an area of stunning natural beauty combining mountain lakes, evergreen forests, alpine meadows and more. “In the winter, when the lake is covered in snow, it is magical,” Apostolia Papoutsis, the president of the village of Archaia Feneos, tells me – briefly making me think that perhaps I have come at the wrong season. But any doubts are dispelled a short while later when, on the banks of the lake, I meet people who are camping, swimming, fishing, horseback riding or just relaxing. “We are, above all, lovers of the sea. But now that we have discovered Doxa Lake, we wouldn’t change it with anything. The energy you feel here is indescribable.” So says the young couple from Patras, who have parked their camper van next to the water’s edge and have the best view around right at their doorstep. Birdsong, choruses of amphibian croaks, dense fir trees and, on all sides, the slopes of the mountains Oligyrtos, Helmos and Ziria. Peace. A short distance away another couple is sunbathing and swimming, while in a tent pitched in front of fishing rods sleeps a Polish man who comes here every year on holiday. The highlands of Corinth are just 2-3 hours by car from Athens. At a distance of just 60km from the capital one can see two lakes, golden reed beds, fields where exceptional pulses are cultivated, mountain plains and alpine landscapes. And all of this next door to the Gulf of Corinth which is perfect for the last swims of the year. see full article here