Myrina, the island's capital and port, a population of around 5,000 inhabitants.
has built on the same spot where the old city of Myrina was located. It extends
from two seashores which are joined by a castle-crowned rocky headland with
a splendid sea view. It is a beautiful town builtin
a traditional style with many picturesque, narrow streets, houses and a market
place. The impressive, fortified castle which hovers over the town can be reached
either from the market, the harbour, or the Romeikos waterfront. The stairs
which begin at the church will lead you straight to its entrance. The rocks
on which it was built make it impregnable even today. Deer and roebuck roam
freely in the nearby caves. Worth seeing in the town are the Karatzadios Library,
the Cathedral of Agia Triada with its two splendid belfries, and the Archaeological
Museum with its huge collection of finds. The harbour is always animated and
most of the town's services are located there. The commercial street begins
from there and connects the two shores. The town is filled with fragrances emanating
from the white plane trees, eucalyptus, jujube trees and tall almond trees which
dot the area. Myrina is divided into two suburbs, "Tsas" and "Androni".
The name "Tsas" is a Russian word meaning" station" which
has
been used since the Orloph brothers defended the town from Turks.The name Androni
is derived based on the legend that tells of the Limnian women who threw all
the men from a cliff at the cape of Petassos. The men had deserted them due
to their body odour caused by a curse bestowed apon them by Aphrodite. Initially
this area was called "Androphonion" (Man killer) and later "Andronion"
(Androni).
In the centre of the island is Atsiki, a village named in ancient times.
When the island was under Athenian rule, the people from Athens that immigrated
and settled in the area named it "Attici"in memory of the region they
had left, they also planted olive and fig trees from Attica. Later with
the "tsitakismo" (Tsitakismos is an idiom of the language according
to which the "t" is pronounced as a "ts") which was dominant
in the island at the that time the name changed to "Atsiki".Its a
large village 22 kms from Myrina, near the airport, with 800 residents. It cultivates
wheat, raisins and dairy products. In addition to the women's bakery co-operatives,
the village operates a distillery.
There are two versions as to the name kontopouli. The first derives
from two words linked together "konta-poli" (near the city) because
it's built near the ancient city of Hefestia. The second is that in the area
there was a large agricultural community which belonged to a land owner called
Kontopoulos.Kontopouli is a main village with stone houses built on a large
plain where wheat used to be cultivated. It is located near two scenic lakes,
Aliki or Asprolimni,where salt used to be gathered,and Hortarolimni, which is
a marine park. Also worth visiting in the area are the archaeological site on
the gulf of Bournia, the remnants of Hephestia, Limnos' oldest town from the
Ancient Greek period, the temple of Kaviria and finally,the cave of Philoctetes
on the other side of the cliff.
Moudros is named from the term" mydro" (a granite rock composed
from solid lava). This formation once existed near the port and was used by
sailors for docking their ships. There was also a castle in Moudro which was
a focal point in Limnian history for several centuries. It was destroyed by
the Venetians in 1656. Moudros once had a monastery, it was burnt by the Turks
along together with 7 monks. There reason for this destructive act was that
they found several dead Turkish military officers in its well. Legend has it
that two monks escaped and found refuge in the monastic community of Agio Oros.
The monks accused the people of Moudros for these killings and told the father
superior of the Koultoumousio monastery that it was to provoke the Turks into
destroying the monastery so the land would remain theirs. The legend has it
that the father superior cursed the whole village. Its not known if the curse
was ever lifted. Moudros is an attractive, scenic town built on the eastern
shore of a wide, shallow gulf. It is one of the country's largest natural harbours
and an important marine environment of great ecological MOimportance. The commercial
port is located on the town's shore where it is also possible to find pleasant
tavernas and hotels. On the southern coast of Moudros, remnants of a castle,
known as Paliokastro (Old Castle), can be seen. Other sites worth visiting are
the church of the Taxiarchon, the British cemetery beside the road that leads
out of town eastwards towards Roussopouli,as well as the church of the Theotokou
Virgin. The coastal road leads to a beautiful beach surrounded by jujube trees,
Agios Pavlos. The beaches of Fanaraki and Havouli are even more attractive.
Nea Koutali is one of the prettiest villages in Lemnos. Built on the
bay of Moudros, it spreads from the Agfa Triada pine forest to the graphic,
stone-built port where fishig boats and caiques are moored its houses a well-kept
and their gardens are covered with rose bushes and vines. A clearly immigrant
village, Nea Koutali was built in order to receive the flood of refugees from
Marmara's Koutali, home of the legendary Panagis Koutalianos. These immigrants
were
mainly seamen and sponge divers who used their profession to surpass their problems
and later contribute in the development of the island. Today, Nea Koutali is
a lively village where visitors can enjoy a tour of the sponge museum and the
museum of nautical tradition.
Visitors can also taste fresh fish and seafood in the graphic tavernas, enjoy
a drink in the many nice bars overlooking the sea, and spend an exciting evening
in one of the clubs.
Portianou, it's possible this village took its name from the fact that
it lies between two ports( Moudros and Kontia). The word "porto" means
a beach appropriate for ships to dock. Other places of interest in the village
are its Folklore museum and British cemetery.
Legend has it that the village Kontias was named after two land owners. One
was called Kondeas and the other Handreas. The first gave his name to the village,
the second to the torrent nearby called (Handrias). Kontias is one of the biggest
and nicest villages on Limnos,
Kontias
with pine hills and abandoned windmills, tree-lined streets, a characteristic
local colour and its scenic chapel which hovers over the hill. Two kilometres
from Kontias is Diapori, a small, natural harbour which can shelter both small
and large boats. A "must see" on your way to Fako, with its seaside
tavernas and cafe-bar. |