Around half an hour from the campsite is a rack railway that runs from Diakopto on the coast to Kalavryta high in the mountains. Famous for allowing you to swim in the sea and ski on the same day. The railway was built in the late 19th century, thankfully the engines have been replaced since then! The train follows the gorge up to the mountain village of Kalavryta, 800 metres above sea level. The journey takes about an hour and is spectacular.

Kalavryta is a lovely town but has a dark past being the scene of a massacre by the Nazi's in 1943 when the male population were taken from their homes and shot. A total of 465 men and boys over the age of 13 were killed as a reprisal to the activities of the Greek Partisans.

There is a museum in the town telling the story. We spent over two hours in the museum, very moving. We went part of the way to the memorial on the hillside where the massacre took place but unfortunately couldn't go all the way as we had to get the return train.

Known to the Greeks as the Kalavryta Holocaust, the museum pulls no punches in naming and shaming those responsible.

The Kalavryta Holocaust