Hotel Location - Area Attractions

Our hotel is situated in Kyllini, a tourist place that is at the same time a center for those wishing to move towards the Ionian Islands. Its harbour is the gate linking continental Greece to the two Ionian Islands, Zakynthos and Kefalonia.

Hotel Location

Chlemoutsi Castle

At the tallest point of the ancient Helonata the Villehardouins built one of the most beautiful and strong castles, a model of the French art of fortifications, the Chlemoutsi. It lies six kilometers away from modern Kyllini and the Glarentza.
The Chlemoutsi was built by Geoffrey I Villehardouin amidst swears, curses and excommunications by the Franks bishops and clergymen, who, together with the Catholic monks, had followed the capture of Morea and taken part in the distribution of lots.
The Franks called it Clermont, which in Greek became Chlemoutsi.
Later on, the Franks named it Chateau Tournois and the Venetians Castel Tornese. That last name it took when a mint was founded in the castle, with the authorization of the king of France Saint Louis - only kings could coin money at that time. Those issued from the mint of the castle were identical to the ones coined by the French town of Tours, the famous tournois or tornese.
The Chlemoutsi was built in 1217 and the building works lasted three years. The hill on which the castle stands revealed Paleolithic tools, a sign that people of the prehistoric times dwelled there.
A small ascent from the village brings one in front of the castle’s gate at the north side, which leads to the first enceinte. Very imposing and impressive, this gate is some six meters high and leads to a dome. After the first one, there are three more gates with arcs, one after the other, which used to close with iron doors.
There also was another entrance to the first enceinte. This one was situated northeast, where the external wall meets the internal one, the main castle. Advancing into the enceinte towards the upper castle that had only one gate, one meets only remains of dwellings, storehouses, barracks and gatehouses that were used by the defenders of the stronghold. At the right side of the gate, an inscription reminds that Constantine Palaeologus, the despot of Mystra and last emperor of Byzantium, also lived in Chlemoutsi for a while.
The visitor of today can take a stroll on the wide way on top of the wall, as the ladies of the castle did at nightfall, and behold from there as long as reaches the eye the endless view that eventuates in the sea.

Chlemoutsi Castle

Vlaherena Monastery

Loutra Kyllini