Hike the Menalon Trail

We enter a pleasant oak forest, to the trailhead that heads downhill to cross the Kernitsa Bridge, from where the trail ascends to the Kernitsas Monastery, a big monastic complex nested in an impressive monolith boulder. Following a combination of footpaths and dirt roads, we cross a dense fir forest and arrive at Sfyrida Hermitage, a nice place to rest with a spring. From Sfyrida (1.000 m) we steadily ascend through the forest until the intersection for Lasta (1.250 m) from where we take a southern direction and traverse the foot of the long steep slope of Kastro. This horizontal trail continues on an old pathway. After passing the Gavros Spring, we enter the small settlement of Magouliana.

Distance: 8,9 km – 5,53 miles / Time: 3,30 hours / Ascent: 660 m / Descent: -364 m / Min. Height: 781 m – 2,562 ft / Max. Height: 1,272 m / 4,173 ft

We walk across Magouliana, through alleys and arrive to the saddle west of the village, where an intersection to Lasta is located - a point of splendid views - surrounded by stone built threshing floors. We descend toward the old sanatorium known as the Mana Sanatorium, through footpaths and narrow roads, to reach the intersection of two asphalt roads across the church of St. Pantes. The route leads down toward the valley, along a small river and moves parallel to the riverbed through small paths and alleys until the junction with another small river and a concrete bridge. The route continues to the left bank entering Kaminia, a nice small inner basin, tucked away at the foot of Valtesiniko. A good path, that was once paved, ascends to the mountain village of Valtesiniko (the village of woodcarvers).

Distance: 6,6 km – 4,1 miles / Time: 2,30 hours / Ascent: 167 m – 547 ft / Descent: -301 m – 987ft / Min. Height: 1,019 m. – 3,343 ft / Max. Height: 1,307 m – 4,288 ft

Total daily distance: 15.5 km / 9.6 miles

From Valtesiniko square, we pass by the impressive stone-built school and access the upper peripheral road of the village, stopping to gaze at the northern plains.
We gain altitude, alternating between footpath and cement road until we reach an altitude of 1,250 meters, where the path becomes clearer and runs along the ridge where the Byzantine fortress of Valtesiniko is nested.
We descend to the small country church St. Triada through open landscapes and stunning views. The next part of the route traverses an extensive fir forest through a series of artificially widened paths. After a short detour to the spring at the location Grias Lithari, we gain some altitude before going down again near Kria Vrisi fountain from where the path ascends smoothly to the saddle and asphalt road. We follow the small forest road through a wooded ridge to the location Elatakos and continue to the great Grilas meadow, with its walnut trees, threshing floors and huts. On the western edge of this zone, we see Lagkadia. Passing by the small Koubliza Spring and the impressive complex of Rapi Watermills, we enter Lagkadia (the village of the stone builders) and conclude the Menalon Trail to the war memorial.

Distance: 13,9 km – 8,07 miles / Time: 5 hours / Ascent: 596 m – 1,955 ft / Descent: -775 m – 2,542 ft / Min. Height: 937 m – 3,074 ft / Max. Height: 1,377 m – 4,517 ft