Culture of Leros Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

In the city of Lakkion, which was built by the Italians shortly before the outbreak of World War II, you can see several interesting objects. For example, the church of St. Nicholas, built as a Catholic church, but now an Orthodox church, or the beautiful church of Agios Theologos, which many consider one of the most beautiful in the entire archipelago. Here, incidentally, are stored and icons of the 11th century. The churches of St. Spyridon, St. George, and St. Zacharias are also worth a look.

Perhaps the most interesting attraction of Lakkion is in the Merikia suburbs. It is where the Military Museum is located. The place was not chosen by chance: during World War II, the Italian naval base was located in its place. The exposition presented in the museum will be interesting and fascinating for those who like history and for those who just want to expand their horizons. Not far from the building of the museum you can see the ruins of the ancient acropolis, with which the modern chapel harmoniously coexist.

In Platanos, there is Castle Castro, built on one of the hills at two hundred meters above sea level. On the way to the castle, you can see a number of restored old windmills. In one of them, accessible to anyone who wants to visit, the working mill mechanism was completely recreated. On the territory of Castro, there is the church of Panagia-tu-Castro, built in the Middle Ages. It is interesting not only for its look but also for a small exposition of various cult objects of the past years. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the city of Agia Marina, in which Platanos flows smoothly, one can see the Archaeological Museum, the largest on the island, which exposition tells about the local life since the time of the first settlers to our days. If you take into account all the wealth of the history of the island, it becomes clear why the museum exhibited such a large number of finds. Agia Marina itself is the brightest illustration to the period of Italian domination in Leros – truly Latin buildings coexist here with the examples of the Greek architecture.

Not far from the coastal Agia Marina there is Alinda, the most modern resort of the island. Here, too, there is something to see. The most interesting building in the town is the Belenia mansion, which was built in 1925. At the moment, the completely restored building resembles an ancient fortress with two asymmetrical towers on the sides. The mansion is not only interesting for its architectural solutions of the beginning of the last century, but also for the museums of press and ethnography, as well as the art gallery, located within its walls. There is also a fairly large exposition devoted to the battle for the island in 1943. At the edge of the city, you can see the memorial military cemetery.

A few kilometers from Alinda there is one of the oldest local attractions – the ruins of the temple of Artemis. The ancient Greeks believed that the goddess of hunting was very fond of Leros and patronized the island. In the temple, according to the legend, lived the guinea fowls – the bewitched sisters of the hero Meleager. Unfortunately, the temple was badly affected by the time and actions of the island's inhabitants – its stones, for example, were used to build the church of St. George in the 19th century.

Near Partheni you can see an old military base. However, many advise to go there not so much to see the base itself, but for the sake of the chapel of Agia-Kiura. Constructed by the hands of political prisoners, it is completely unattractive outside, but inside is stunningly beautiful and emotionally painted. Officially, the church does not recognize this painting because of the deviation from the generally accepted canons, but the state protects the frescoes as part of the cultural and historical heritage.