And here we are at thesecond largest settlement on the Skopelos island, the wonderfulGlossa village.
We find it in thenortheast about twenty kilometers from the Skopelos Town andthree upwards from the picturesque Loutraki port, the second portof call to reach the island as well as to discover the beaches of thearea and which connects with the other the archipelago islands.
Built as anamphitheater at the foot of the mountain 250 meters above sea leveland surrounded by pine forests, olive groves, almonds and planetrees, it has remained untouched by mass tourism thus preserving avery Greek atmosphere with genuine traditions that today are handeddown from father in son. Its fame is mainly due to the cult film “Mamma Mia”, in fact in the beautiful church of Agios Ioannis Kastro a few kilometers from Glossa they filmed the legendarywedding scene. Despite its growth in fame, it still remains a typicalpre mountain village with an authentic flavor where time almost seemsto have stopped.
It fascinates with itswhite houses that reflect the architecture of all dominations thathave passed this way with two floors with brick tile roofs or slateslabs and the classic wooden balconies with the front part coveredwith iron railings and adorned with colorful flowers, itslabyrinthine and cobbled alleys, the typical taverns where you caneat the best and freshest fish of Skopelos thanks to theLoutraki port just below, and still antique shops and idle cafés whereyou can sit and get to know the locals who have always fantastic andunique stories to tell. The Glossa inhabitants, which with thelast census of 2011 had almost a thousand stable souls, are veryrespectful of customs and traditions, so much so that in the alleysyou will see women still dressed in the local clothes called”Foustanes” and who still speak a remote dialect local, atypical example of how much the Greeks want to preserve theiridentity and still live according to traditional rhythms even in anincreasingly rapid progress.
The Glossa villagehas very ancient origins, it is said that it was a Cretan colony fromthe Minoan period and there are many finds that date back to theprehistoric period. However, the most remembered story is the periodof the Greek Revolution in 1825 when Glossa became a refuge for manypeople from Evia, the Chalkidiki Peninsula, Thessaly and Macedoniawho characterized what is found today by merging customs andtraditions. In 1835 it officially became a Municipality.
Its curious name isstill unknown today where it comes from, there are severalexplanations, the funniest is certainly linked to the position of thevillage right on the hill and with a large amount of steps to climbto move from one place to another , thanks to this, when you arriveat your destination due to the effort you will have your tonguehanging out (Glossa in Greek). Another version instead links it tothe fact that the Cretans had called it Knossa and finally the lastone due to its strange shape that resembles a language.
In the beginning, itsinhabitants were simple farmers, fishermen and shepherds, trades thatare still carried out in its natural rhythm today. Glossa is famousfor the production of its wine, for its tasty plums used to makedesserts and in some ancient recipes, for its precious wool and forfishing.
Glossa is also veryinteresting from an archaeological point of view to spend a daythere. In addition to the historic buildings that testify to longtraditions, you can admire in Platonas at the foot of Mount Paloukitowards the north the Agios Taxiarchis monastery nestled amongpine forests built in 672 AD considered the oldest in Skopoles. Belowa large plane tree where there are two sources of water, we find thebasilica with a single nave and a wonderful dome. The temple insidepreserves a wooden iconostasis and some icons. On November 8th aparty is organized where a traditional meal based on local goat andplenty of wine is offered.
Near ofLoutraki port are Roman baths from the 3rd century AD. A typical publicarchitecture for personal hygiene and meeting people. 42 meters longand 4.5 wide, today they are partly covered by the sea. To the westsome sections are still being excavated. The mosaic floors areinteresting, the heater paved with ceramic slabs and a brazier thatserved as an oven where the embers were burned to produce hot air.Also in the Loutraki area, there are the remains of the citadel ofSelinous from the 4th century BC as well as the ruins of a templededicated to the goddess Athena from the 5th century.
And again, one of themost beautiful excursions from Glossa is undoubtedly the Cape Gouroni Lighthouse. It is more or less nine kilometers from the center of thevillage and the last stretch is best done on foot as the road is notat all safe with a vehicle. An imposing white lighthouse thatdominates above a hill where the view is breathtaking and for amoment of freshness you can relax either on the Choundrogiorgis beach or on the Perivolou beach, always littlefrequented by tourists.
Certainly there is no shortage of things to do and see in Glossa, which is why it is necessary to include it inthe list and why not choose it as a base for touring the island.
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