Articles

Vouraikos River (or Erasinos) originates in Erymanthos and is 37.5 kilometers long. The gorge flowing from the river is 20 kilometers long and is a protected area. It is a unique landscape of primitive beauty, with waterfalls, caves with stalactites and stalagmites, and lush vegetation to enchant visitors.

This point of interest is Mountainous and Rural. It is accessible in Spring and Summer. It is not accessible by public transport. There is no charge or ticket.

The flora of the Vouraikos river gorge is judged to be outstandingly important, a fact confirmed by the recording of several endemic species of particular scientific value, rare and protected, such as the bell of the rocks (Campanula rupestris), the wild ear of corn (Stachys parolinii), the aurinia of Morea (Aurinia moreana) et al. The fauna of the area that finds refuge in the steep wooded mountains that surround the gorge is also noteworthy.

In 1889, inside the gorge and next to the Vouraikos river, the only cog railway in Greece began to be built by the Government of Charilaos Trikoupis. The study was assigned to French scientists. Charilaos Trikoupis wanted the railway line to be extended to Tripoli, but delays in the construction of the Diakofto - Kalavryta line and cost overruns meant that the railway line was never extended. The construction of the cogwheel railway was completed during the Diligiannis Governorship in 1896 and was inaugurated on March 10, 1896. It connects Diakopto with Kalavryta and its total length is 22 kilometers. Every year, on the second Sunday of May, the so-called "Panhellenic Crossing" of the gorge is organized by the "Mountain and Skiing Association of Kalavryta" with the participation of hundreds of climbers and hikers.