An archetypal Arcadian Mountain village, Stemnitsa (Slavic ‘a wooded place’) nestles tightly in the mountain crags of Klinitsa, on the foothills of the Mainalon mountain. The village, steeped in history, inward looking and defensive, is originally built around the more defensible neighbourhood, the ‘Kastro’, but afterwards spreads up the southwest facing foothills forming ten neighbourhoods named either from natural occurring springs or churches, the centres of village life.

The villagers, with little opportunity to earn a living from the mountainous terrain, turn to trade and focus on metalworking, quickly becoming one of the main centres of trade and crafts in Greece from 1700s. Reaching nearly a thousand inhabitants their work included religious artifacts, weaponry, silver and gold jewellery and church bell casting, the alleys full of ground floor noisy workshops. To protect their trade, they developed their own secret language, the Mestitsiotika. As the men travelled half the year to sell their goods, the women became key figures of their households.

The metalworking skills of the inhabitants meant they became a centre for weapon manufacturing for the Greek revolution in 1820’s. The village became the favourite hiding place of famous fighters including Kolokotronis and his sons and was the centre for the first official gathering of the Greek parliament, 27th May 1821, at the Monastery of Zoodoxos Pigi at the outskirts of the village.

This silversmithing tradition lives on in the Silversmithing Academy and the jewellery shops that you see on the main street. The busy main village square is at 1083m height, its numerous coffee shops vibrant with life throughout all seasons. It is the start for numerous village walks. Head eastwards to the Monastery of Zoodoxos Pigi and beyond to the ‘Mother of Fountains’ or up to the Kastro to see the views down the gorge from the Heroon. Westwards, walking on the Dimitsana road you reach the ‘Aeraki’ where, on a clear day you have panoramic views to the castle of Karytaina and over to the Ionian Sea and the island of Zakynthos.

Further afield you can explore the Lousios Gorge with its fast flowing freezing river and the famous 16th c. monasteries as well as the remains of ancient Gortyn, 335 BC. an important shrine and centre of healing to the god Asclepius or head to the fascinating Open-Air Water Power Museum, in Dimitsana. Further afield you can visit Karytaina castle, the ‘Toledo’ of Greece or Andritsaina and the Temple of Apollo in Vases.