On the west of Parnitha, the Dervenochoria villages have an unknown and exciting history, interesting monuments, mainly monasteries and fortresses, and very good food with excellent meats.
To reach the plateau the villages are located on, at an altitude of about 500 m you’ll go through lovely forests with streams and rivers, bridges and springs, the very old, historic Kliston monastery and the ancient fortress of Fyli. And all that at just 45 km from the centre of Athens.
Kliston Monastery
As you leave Fyli behind, in the direction of the Dervenochoria, the city already appears to be far far away, as the trees surround you and you get lost in nature. Make a detour, following the sign to the Kliston monastery.
The first building of the compound you’ll see is a modern one. It’s not clear when the monastery was built exactly, but there are signs, like the one on the narthex, dated 1204, suggesting that the original monastery of the Kimisis tis Theotokou Kliston Fylis may have been first established in the 11th century, with subsequent expansions made to it. The monastery is built in a wild, imposing landscape on the western, rocky, bank of the gorge of river Keladonas’ (Gouras). The gorge’s banks fade in the horizon but the rumble of the (unseen) river of the Giannoula gorge reach the monastery at 600 m height.
