Greek Islands

Karytena Village

The 5000 Drachma Note depicting Karytena

Welcome to Karytena!

Due to the five ways to write 'e' (as in 'leg') and the three ways to write 'i' (as in 'fit') in Greek, Greek "Καρύταινα" can be seen (on signs or in the Internet) as Karytena (about 900 results in Google), Karitena (about 600 results), Karytaina (about 430 results), Karitaina (about 400 results) or even Karytaena (37 results). Whichever way you see it written, please refer to our pictures to see the wild beauty of this village in Arkadia.

It is located about just 1 kilometer northwest of Greece Interstate 76 (Pyrgos - Andritsaina - Megalopoli), is very near the Loussios Gorge, and has a very important historical past. It was chosen by the Franks (Hugues De Bruyere) in 1245 as a site to build a castle, which was then sold to the Byzantine Andronicos Palaeologos and remained under the Greeks until 1458. After it changed hands several times, it finally fell in Turkish control in 1715 and remained so until 1821, when it was liberated by the Greek Freedom fighters.

It was repaired in 1826 by Theodoros Kolokotronis, the famous warrior of the Greek Revolution, who used it as his headquarters during his fight against Ibrahim Pasha. This historical fact was behind the decision of the Greek State to issue a 5000 drachma bank note with Kolokotronis on one of its sides and Karytena Castle on its reverse side. This banknote was in use until national currencies were replaced by the Euro. The castle itself is located on a triangular-trapezoidal rocky hill with bushes and some trees; Karytena village is built around it.