Karystos Evia Castle

Let's start by briefly describing where the Castle is located. The fortress is in the beautiful area of Karystos south of Evia, a large area around Mount Ohi which is part of the Natura 2000 project which is concerned with protecting natural environments.

Here nature gives its best, endless pine forests, streams gushing from the side of the mountain, blackberry bushes, age old plane trees, fruit trees, a fauna of nightingales, finches, blackbirds, the friendly domestic owl, rare flowers such as peonies, and still enchanted villages such as Myli, Grabias, Kalyvia and Aetos, in a nutshell an earthly paradise still intact and uncontaminated where you can get lost in pleasant walks breathing healthy air in the midst of nature.

Beneath so much wonder, the huge crescent shaped bay that has mesmerized all who set foot there both in the past and in modern times.

Karystos Castle also called Kokkino Kastro (Kokkino in Greek means red) takes its name from its reddish stones and was so perfect for defense that no one ever managed to conquer it. It dominates the Mount Ohi slopes four kilometers from the Karystos town between the  Grabias and Meyloi villages and like a sentinel, it keeps within its walls memories and secrets of times gone by.

It was built in 1030 by the Byzantines to protect the population from the bloodthirsty pirates who plowed the Aegean on the imposing hill called Montofoli (Mount of leaves) to then be enlarged by Baron Ravano dalle Carceri, a Lombard lord who reigned in the feud from 1209 to 1216 In 1276 the Byzantines reappear in Evia and thanks to the Frankish knight Liccario, it returns to their hands together with the rest of the island except the current capital Chalkis. Bonifacio da Verona in 1295 usurped the Byzantines and regained possession of the fortress which in turn was inherited by the Catalan son in law Alfonso Fadrigo D'Aragona. In 1359 the Venetians bought it from Fadrigo's son for the sum of 6000 ducats and they will remain there for the next 104 years. They will abandon it in 1470 thus allowing the Ottomans to occupy the area and to further fortify the entire structure thus making it even more impregnable. In the Greek war of independence in 1821, Nikolas Kriezotis the famous "lion of Evia" tries several times to conquer the fortress but despite the long siege and almost inhuman efforts he never succeeded. Only after the liberation in 1833 and following the departure of the Turks did it finally enter the possession of the Greeks.

The castle is a two-story building with a hexagonal horseshoe shape at 350 meters above sea level and offers a crazy view over the whole bay. To make it, the Venetians used the limestone and marble from the Roman Mausoleum. Typical is the low vaulted portal secured to the large iron door. Above the entrance is a hole that was used to pour boiling oil on enemies. On both sides towards the sea are the flying buttresses which were used to distribute the lateral thrusts of the building on the ground. During the period of Ottoman domination, the pasha had a stupendous garden created with a citrus grove right above the Roman baths. Today there is an exclusive vineyard that produces an exquisite organic wine from grapes dried directly on the vine, excellent for dessert. A rare species of bluebell grows naturally on the walls of the fortress and kestrels and nuthatches come to nest between the steep cliffs on the sides.

Note that the area is always very windy considering that Eolo has his home right on the nearby Tinos island and can sometimes whip very forcefully, our advice is to go and visit the castle when the God is asleep.