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document.write("Apiranthos
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document.write("The village of Apiranthos, is a village full of life.Words are not enough to describe it. Located in the heart of the mountainous Naxos, about 32km from the main town, Apeiranthos lies on the slopes of a hill, among the foothills of the Phanaria Mountains, between two beautiful, green valleys. Apeiranthos has an extraordinary view to the sea and the islands. It was thought to be Dionysus'' homeland because of its superb wine.")
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document.write("The name of the village is the composite of two words, 'Apeir' and 'Anthos'. 'Apeir' means 'plenty of' and 'Anthos' means 'flowers'. Until today, Apeiranthos is a village where different kinds of flowers are growing in the mountains, as well as in the beautiful valleys, thanks to its fertile soil. Apeiranthos has maintained its traditional character. It is a village where the 'anefani' (chimneys) make up a garden of strange flowers.")
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document.write("Thanks to its marble-paved streets, Apeiranthos is also called the 'marble village'. The people of the village use marble to build their houses, because it gives a sense of royalty. They also make special emblems from marble, like the one with the Lion of St. Mark, the emblem of Venice, which they usually place above their doors.")
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document.write("Two of the mansions, in which the emblem exists, are those of the Bardanis’ House and the Zevgolis’ House. In Apeiranthos you can also find traditional handmade artworks, especially embroideries. The village has many beautiful churches, the most known is Panagia Aperathitissa, that has a masterly carved marble screen and post-Byzantine icons, Agia Kyriaki, of the 9th century AD and Agios Ioannis Theologos, with very interesting frescoes.")
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document.write("However the most notable, is Panagia Phanariotissa, which is located in an altitude of 1000m, on the top of mountain Phanari, with a magnificent view of the entire island. Maybe it will come as a surprise, but Apeiranthos has three small museums:")
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document.write("Archaeological, Geological and one of Folk Art, as well as three libraries. In the Archaeological museum, you can find a lot of pre-historic findings from excavations in many different parts of Naxos.")
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document.write("In the Geological museum there are more than 2000 specimens to see and is one of the best in Greece. Last, in the museum of Folk art, you can get an idea of how a typical house of Apeiranthos looked like, hundred years ago, starting from the kitchen of the house, the farming tools, the clothes worn by the people of that period and more.")
}
else if (number==2)
{
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document.write("Apollonas
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document.write("Following the road towards the southeast of the island, we arrive to Apollonas. Apollonas is a beautiful, green, seaside village, with a large sandy beach. Although it is a far away area, around 54km from the main town, a lot of Greek people and tourists are coming here to spend their vacations. In the last decade the villagers have built a lot of hotels and small taverns.")
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document.write("Apollonas is a well-organized summer resort. The village became known for its 'Kouros', a beautiful half-finished male statue that is lying on the ground and has never been moved from its place. Another site that is also worth seeing, are the old marble mines in Empoli. Many famous works of art were made by those marbles. ")
}
else if (number==3)
{
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document.write("Chora
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document.write("Chora is the capital city of Naxos island. You can start your exploration from 'Portara', the Temple of Apollo. This enormous marble gate, also known as the 'Baths of Ariadne', was built in the 6th century BC in Apollo’s honor. Besides its major historical and archeological significance, “Portara” offers a breathtaking experience. During the sunset, as the sun sets behind the mountains of Paros everything turns red… the sky, the sea, the clouds.")
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document.write("Also from there, whenever the horizon is clear, you can see the islands of Delos, Mykonos and Syros.The most beautiful part of Chora is with no doubt the old town. Take a long walk into the old market. … you will be pleasantly surprised to find so many small gift shops, restaurants, and taverns in the narrow streets where you can enjoy fresh fish and other delicacies from the Naxian cuisine. Follow up the stairs of the old town until you reach the gates of the castle. As you enter the gates, you will feel like you are travelling back in time, in a different world…")
}
else if (number==4)
{
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document.write("Chalki
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document.write("Just 17km away from Naxos town, you will reach the region of Chalki. Chalki is known for its beautiful old mansions and many Byzantine churches. The villages Akadimi, Kaloxilos, Kerami, Rachi, Monitsa, Tsikalario and Koutsocherados, are part of the community of Chalki. They are all spread along a beautiful olive-grove. Outside Chalki there is the tower of Gratsias-Barotsi-Frangopoulou, a beautiful Venetian residence of the 17th century that once had a hanging bridge. The church of Panagia Protothronos at Chalki is one of the most important monuments of Byzantine architecture. In the village, you will also find Agios Georgios Diasoritis, an impressive 11th century church with remarkable architecture and frescoes. Monuments such as these indicate that Chalki, in Byzantine times, was a significant administrative and powerful center in the island.")
}
else if (number==5)
{
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document.write("Damarionas
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document.write("A short cut of 1.200m, starting in the 15th kilometer of the central road, leads us to the village of Damarionas. The first area that we come across is that of Vourvouria. There, you can see the beautiful temple of Agios Prokopios, which has been renovated recently. At the end of the district, up on the hill, we can see the derelict temple of Agios Konstantinos, a building of the 13th century, with very important frescoes. The village of Damarionas is placed in one of the most beautiful locations of the island. The white houses have the genuine architectural order and are literally buried inside the olive groves. Mostly farmers and stockbreeders, the villagers are taking good care of their land, which is full of olive grooves, oak-trees, vineyards, beautiful gardens and orchards. In the center of the village, stands out the temple of the 'Metamorphosis of Savior'. It was renovated in the 16th century, it has a beautiful carved iconostasis and it is perfectly maintained. The temple celebrates on the 6th of August.")
}
else if (number==6)
{
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document.write("Danakos
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document.write("In a distance of 25 km from the main town, on the junction before Apeiranthos, the road ends to the village of Danakos. Danakos is a very productive village with 150 inhabitants, located far away from the center of the island but near the sea. It is built in a beautiful valley. The running waters of the valley, were formerly used to operate watermills. To the southeast of Danakos, the monastery of the Fotodotis is located. The old temple has been deserted for years but you can still see its beautiful Byzantine sculptures. According to the tradition it was built by the empress Irene around 1497. The monastery of the Fotodotis is located up in the mountains, with a view to the peak of mountain Zas, but also to the eastern shores of Naxos. The legend says that Lord Byron once visited it and left his name carved on a column.")
}
else if (number==7)
{
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document.write("Engares
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document.write("Just 7 km from the main town of Naxos and only 800m from the sandy and often choppy sea of the Ammitis Bay, you can reach the village of Engares. Located in a beautiful green valley, with orchards, full of pears, apples, damsons and above all apricots. Galini, Mytria, Mesi Geitonia or Langadia, are small hamlets, which also belong to the community of Engares.")
}
else if (number==8)
{
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document.write("Filoti
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document.write("Filoti, is a village at the foothills of mountain Za, connected with the worship of god Zeus. Located in just 20 km from the main town, in the heart of a green valley, is one of the most beautiful villages in Naxos, bristling with white washed houses and stone paved streets, built in an amphitheatrical way and with a growing population of almost 2,000 inhabitants. In the middle of the main square of the village, you will find a huge tree, which forms a shadow more than 30 square meters long, a beautiful, cooling and breathing space for the visitors, as well as the villagers. All around the square, you will find cozy coffee shops, traditional bakeries, taverns where you can enjoy the delicious local cuisine and good wine and many other stores. The Venetian mansion that stands near the center of the village, is a reminder of an era where Filoti was the fief of the Barozzis. When you see it from far away, it seems like it’s guarding the village. Also in the village you can see the beautiful church of Panagia Filotitissa, with its wonderful sculptured belfry. The church celebrates on the 15th of August, a very big holiday for the village, and for the whole island that attracts many visitors from all around Naxos, as well as from Athens. After the Mass follows a big festival at the main square of the village with music, dancing, good homemade food and strong tasteful wine like old times.")
}
else if (number==9)
{
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document.write("Galanado
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document.write("Galanado is the first village you will meet, on the main road, only 6 km from Chora. The village has 500 inhabitants. It has a beautiful parish church and a small primary school. Just a little bit outside the village, there is the imposing tower of Belonia, which used to be the summer resort of the region’s Catholic commander. Next to the tower of Belonia, there is the temple of Agios Ioannis and the ruins of a wall from the Hellenistic era.")
}
else if (number==10)
{
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document.write("Galini
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document.write("Galini is located on the east side of Engares and it has almost 300 inhabitants. Here you will find the beautiful church of Koimisis of Theotokou (Assumption). The village took its name from a local Turkish jail, for unknown reasons. Aside from the orchards that the villagers cultivate, they also produce large amounts of dry food for their animals.")
}
else if (number==11)
{
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document.write("Glinado
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document.write("Just 6 km from the main town, you will reach the region of Glinado, with a population of 700 inhabitants. The village is located on a rocky hill, from where you can see the main town, the deep blue sea and nearby islands. A beautiful temple, the Metamorphosis of Savior, is found between the villages of Galanado and Glinado, in the middle of a dell full of green, where the old district of Tzitzamos used to be. In a beautiful high spot, the temple of Agios Nikodemos was built. Northeast of the village, at the slopes of the hill, there is the temple of Agioi Saranta, surrounded from ruins of a small monastery that was lying there since 1834. The temple was built around 1656, with the voluntary donation of the local people. A large number of the church’s icons are saved until today. Close to this location, the Naxians have built an aqueduct, in order to take water to irrigate their orchards, as well as thousands of hectares of land.")
}
else if (number==12)
{
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document.write("Keramoti
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document.write("Between two mountains and embraced from the river, just like a small island, you can find the village of Keramoti, a community with approximately 250 inhabitants. It is built in a valley full of walnut-trees, vineyards and olive groves. On the top of the village, there is a small chapel called 'Stavros (Cross) of Keramotis', lying there, deserted and left in its own tradition. It also has a beautiful parish church, the church of Agios Ioannis Theologos. On a big cross, the date1876 is engraved, which is the date that the church was renovated. The village has also its own, traditionally built primary school. Near the village there are ruins of an old temple. From the top of the village, you can also admire the boundlessness of the island, from the west till the east Aegean Sea. It is a site, which will be difficulty forgotten.")
}
else if (number==13)
{
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document.write("Kinidaros
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document.write("In a distance of 14 km from the main town of Naxos, we come across the beautiful and most romantic village in the entire island. It is surrounded from green valleys, with vineyards, olive groves and cherry trees. The village is also famous for its waters, as Chora''s water supply comes from here, and its songwriters. Every single mountain that surrounds the village is a marble quarry. Kinidaros was recently renovated; it has nearly 650 inhabitants and almost all of them work in open marble quarries. In the beautiful valley of Halandra, at the north side of the village, the temple of Agios Artemios is located, one of the largest and most imposing basilicas of Naxos. Built in the 18th century, around the year 1779, the temple celebrates on the 20th of October. In the area of Agios Artemios, ancient graves were found as well as many other archaeological discoveries, like old Byzantine coins.")
document.write("This proves that the temple of Agios Artemios was built atop another temple, the ancient temple of Artemis. In Kinidaros you will also find the parish church of Agios Georgios in the center of the village, which celebrates on the 23rd of April. These buildings, as well as the water mills which existed in the valley of Halandra, are evidence of economic activity in the region, which also explains the large population of the village during the antiquity and Byzantium. Today the village is very well known for its musicians and its feasts and festivals.")
}
else if (number==14)
{
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document.write("Koronida
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document.write("The village of Komiaki is located in the northern part of Naxos, 43km from the main town, in the slopes of one of the higher peaks of mountain Koronos, surrounded by other mountains. Nature has been kind to Komiaki. It’s full of beautiful trees and many different kinds of flowers. Olives, fruit trees and mostly vines are cultivated throughout this area, and its wine has a great reputation all over Greece. Thanks to the waterfalls that exist in the village, you will find a lot of water mills and small lakes. Also, around the waterfalls there are orchards where people cultivate many vegetables like onions, garlic, potatoes, beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, even tobacco. In the area there are a lot of churches as well. Theoskepasti is a very old parish church, which is dedicated to Holy Mother and celebrates on the 8th of September. Panagia Vlakiotissa or Agios Konstantinos, is located southwest of the village, between beautiful orchards and is surrounded by water springs. Renovated recently, it celebrates on the 21st of May. Traditional Cycladic architecture is still widely used in Komiaki.")
} else if (number==15)
{
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document.write("Koronos
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document.write("The village of Koronos is located 36 km away from the main town, on the eastern foothills of Mountain Koronos, at a height of 540 meters above sea level, in a valley full of vineyards. Recumbent on the slopes of the mountain, between the vineyards, looks like it is drunk from its tasteful wine and its cool breeze. The time passes through pleasantly as you climb up the picturesque alleyways, browsing the beautiful white houses with the panoramic view. The name of the village comes from the word 'koroni', which means 'peak'. It is a traditional village, which is inhabited mostly by emery workers, that they always seize any opportunity for celebration. The population of Koronos runs into 1,200 people. The emery mines are a very interesting feature of the area, situated on the road leading to Lionas. The mines were in existence from the ancient times and some interesting structures are still well preserved.")
document.write("This whole area of emery mines is like an open museum. Furthermore, you can see the old system of transporting minerals, which was set up in the year 1925 and run down to the harbor of Moutsouna. Today, the main occupation for the villagers is their land. Their products are well known for their quality, specially the pulses and grains, the potatoes, the pears and mainly the good and famous Apollonian wine.")
}
else if (number==16)
{
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document.write("Melanes
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document.write("Melanes is a small village, but the richest one in tradition and legends. It is located in a beautiful valley full of olive and fruit trees, just a breath away from the main town, around 8 km. The valley has taken its name from its black soil ('Melanes' means 'black'). In the Melanes’ valley, also are the villages of Kournochori and Agioi Apostoloi. At Kournochori you will find the Frangopoulos tower-house. The tower reminds us that the region was one of the most important fiefs of the island. Leaving Melanes, our route takes us to Flerio, also known as 'Ellinas' ('Greek'). There you will find the ''Kouros''. The statue was lying on the ground of an ancient quarry since the 7th century BC and represents a person, (its sex is not defined), which measures 6,40metres, and now lays in the corner of an orchard, which is under the exclusive protection of the Kondylis family. The statue is 200 years older than Acropolis in the city of Athens. Another monument worth seeing in Melanes, is the temple of the Jesuit Monks, in the region of Kalamitsia, in a magic location in the countryside. A monk of the temple named R. Sauger, built it in the 17th century, in a way that nobody can build it the same. Pigeon''s houses, orchards, small waterfalls and a beautiful church behind it, surround the temple. The ground of the area, was famous for its fertility since antiquity, but also for the marble hidden in it.")
}
else if (number==17)
{
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document.write("Mesi
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document.write("Just a little bit after Scado, driving west, we come across the village of Mesi. Inhabited by 150 people, mostly farmers, the beautiful village of Mesi is full of orchards and vineyards, cultivated intensively by the villagers, thanks to the richness of the soil. Near Mesi, there are the ruins of ancient hamlets and fortresses. The beautiful parish church, of Agia Paraskevi, adds splendor to the whole village.")
}
else if (number==18)
{
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document.write("Potamia
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document.write("Leaving the village of Melanes and driving through the orchards of Paratrechos, we reach the village of Potamia, famous for its orchards and for fruit of every kind. About 9 km from the main town, we enter a village full of green orchards and fruit-trees. Potamia is divided in three parishes, Ano Potamia, Mesi Potamia and Kato Potamia, which come under the same community. The village has almost 500 inhabitants, many less each year that passes through, because the villagers are trying to work in the main town, since the tourism started to increase in Naxos. As we reach Ano Potamia, we come across the church of Agios Ioannis. This is a good place for a rest. Refreshments to satisfy all contemporary tastes are available, but one can also try the preserved fruit, bitter orange and apricot, which is produced in Potamia. The plentiful running water of the spring, has decorated the area with age-long trees, picturesque water mills and orchards. The dark green olive groves complete the beauty of the scenery. In a green garden with churches and towered houses, lies the 9th century church of Agios Mamas. It is one of the most important churches of the island, thanks to its remarkable architecture, sculptures and frescoes.")
}
else if (number==19)
{
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document.write("Sangri
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document.write("The beautiful village of Sangri, located only 11 km from the main town, is a community with 600 inhabitants. The area is full of beautiful houses, marble paved streets, towers, windmills, Byzantine churches, monasteries and ruins of old temples in the middle of endless vineyards and well cultivated orchards. The village of Sangri is divided in three smaller districts, Epano Sangri, Kanakari and Kato Sangri. Northwest, a little bit outside the village, in the beautiful valley of Agioi Anargyroi, you can see the Venetian tower of Palaiologos, the farm of the Bogiatzoglou family with the small traditional temple of Agioi Anargyroi and the church of Panagia, next to the tower. At the area of Kato Sangri, you can find the well-maintained Venetian tower of the Somaripa family and on the east, the most fertile area of the village, the 'Toubakades', with plenty of waters. Furthermore, you can see the monastery of Timios Stavros (Holy Cross), which today belongs to the Barotsi family. It was flourishing at the beginnings of the 18th century, when the abbots and the monks contributed all together for the increment of the richness of the monastery. At the area of 'Kato Sangri', you can find the school of the village, built inside the one and only pine-tree forest in Naxos, created from the first teachers of Sangri.")
} else if (number==20)
{
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document.write("Skado
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document.write("Less than 2 km from Koronos, which means in a distance of 38 km from the main town, there is the village of Scado. It is located right across the village of Koronos and it has almost 250 inhabitants. It is a sunny village, surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and fruit trees.")
}
else if (number==21)
{
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document.write("Tripodes
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document.write("The beautiful small village of 850 inhabitants, just 8 km from the main town, used to be the capital of the community of Vivlos. From this village begin the crossroads that will lead you to the beaches of Plaka, Kastraki and Alyko. The name of the village comes from an ancient tripod stand, which was found in archaeological excavations. A traditional village, with marble paved streets and snow-white houses, picturesque windmills and natural springs, along with a beautiful and spacious square, where many events take place during the festive days of the year. The temple of Koimiseos of Theotokos (Assumption) celebrates on the 23rd of August. The temple belongs to a ruined monastery, which was erected before 1625. Today, the courtyard and some of the cells of the monastery, are still in a very good condition. The interior of the church demonstrates the intensive care of the villagers. It has a beautiful carved iconostasis with icons from different epochs, of remarkable artistry and value.")
}