Just 2 hours away from Athens, Karystos, the southernmost town of Euboea gives off island vibes almost all year round. Surrounded by the sapphire and shiny sea, it resembles the Cyclades, and you can’t get enough of its port promenade with the fish boats. Early in the morning or late at night, the fish boats arrive, and the fish is packed for the fish markets of Halkida and Athens.

Bourtzi, located at one end of the port, built by the Venetians in 1350, stands solid and imposing with its many battlements and 24 hatches. Across from Bourtzi is the Archaeological Museum (0030 2224029218), while a bit further away, you’ll find the very interesting Folklore Museum (0030 2224022452, 0030 6973 688707) housed in the old mansion of the Moschona family, showcasing the Harilis Deligiorgis collections. The most impressive exhibit is, without doubt, the reproduction of a whole home of Karystos.

You’ll find the lovely 19th-century neoclassical building that houses the Town Hall, made with Karystos marble and the famous Karystos slabs, in the main square, while there are a few more neoclassical buildings in the surrounding streets. In Amalias square, the bushy mulberries and the sea view will cheer you up and make you feel more playful. Mount Ochi stands behind Karystos, keeping an eye below, from a 1.400 m. altitude. The view of the Aegean is breath-taking and if you find yourself here with the right weather, you’ll be able to see the mountains of the Peloponnese, and even of Chios and Samos. Karystos spreads between the port and the foothills of Ochi, with perfectly planned wide streets that make getting around town easy. Of course, the Bavarian architect, Bierbach, who planned the town under King Otto’s orders, could not have predicted the ugly blocks of flats, all the concrete and the overall architectural mess of modern Greece. However, you’ll immediately forget about all that when faced with Karystos’ beauty and sights.

read more at travel.gr