Because of the mountainous surroundings and picturesque villages with beautiful beaches with very clear waters, this area is very popular as a holiday destination. The capital of Achaia is Patras.
The main attractions of Achaia include:
The main attractions of Achaia include:
- Diakofto: this town is known for one of the most beautiful railway lines in Europe to the village Kalavryta. The railway line is 75 cm wide and 23 km long and intrudes bridges and tunnels through the Vouraïkos gorge. There needs to be bridged, a height of 900 meters sometimes with a gradient of 28%, which can be alone sometimes taken with a rack railway. The railway was built between 1885 and 1895. On the way from Diakofto to Kalavryta is only 1 stop in Zahlorou where Moni Mega Spileo can be visited. It is also an option to walk back from Zahlorou to Diakofto through / along the track and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
- Kalavryta: a mountain town at an altitude of 750 m lies in the valley of the Vouraïkosrivier, in the northern foothills of the Chelmos Mountains (2,355 m). In the Second World War a great drama took place here. In December 1943 Greek resistance fighters near Kalavryta yielded a real battle with the Nazi troops, with 80 German soldiers lost their lives. Because the Germans thought that the citizens of Kalavryta have offered assistance to the opposition, the Germans attacked the town on December 13, 1943 and killed the entire male population (1,430 persons aged 15 years and older). Then the Germans locked the women and children from the village into a school and set it on fire and then also burned down the entire city. By breaking the windows many women managed to escape with their children. The clock on the left tower of the Cathedral remains therefore always be at 2:34 pm, the time of this atrocity. The city was rebuilt. A museum in the center recalls the horrors of war. Just outside the city on a hill stands a large monument on which the names of the victims are chiseled .
- Rio Aktirion bridge