Pavliani: A taste of rural America in central Greece
Greek summer is famous the world over. Sizzling temperatures, fresh food, island life and memories to last a lifetime — it’s a pattern that has propped up the economy of this wonderful country through the hardest of times. However, scratch beneath the surface just a little, and you’ll find something far more unique, far more extraordinary and, as the greeks would say, ειδυλλιακό!
It was Socrates who said that it was “not life, but good life” that is to be chiefly valued and, with that, he was followed by Aristotle, who put it in even simpler terms when he said, “adventure is worthwhile”. It is the words of both that have built Pavliani to be what it is today.
Situated at an altitude of 1010 metres and bordering the Oiti National Park, the endearing village of Pavliani boasts the Vasilikia Mountain Farm and Retreat, the brainchild of Stavros Tzioufas, who knows all too well the importance of an adventurous and good life.
Having followed a path to Hollywood, where the bright lights of Los Angeles became his home for the better part of his adult life, Tzioufas immersed himself within the fashion industry of the great US of A. Absorbing the American culture like a sponge, this fiercely original artist returned home to his native Greece armed with new ideas.
Submerged within the walnut, oak, willow and plane trees, Vasilikia Mountain Farm is – somewhat remarkably – just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Athens, the capital city of Greece. However, upon arrival, you’d be forgiven for believing that you have been picked and transported to rural America.
Offering stylish wooden cottages with unique artworks and collectables handbuilt by Tzioufas and his team, the location pays homage to the United States with its Buffalo House, archetypal treehouse, Airstream caravan, and countless cottages. While the US has clearly influenced the current state of the location, the farm has undergone several phases of expansion and development since the farm’s first settler began work in 1984.
While the mountain farm offers creative relaxation, the rest of the area has followed suit. Venturing out of the grounds allows for hiking, sightseeing and proof that small communities can unite to construct a special environment. The village of Ano Pavliani – which provided the construction materials for the farm – demonstrates the shared ideas of the area. Local artists and creatives have adopted the principles set out in the Habitat Agenda, a pilot program aimed at promoting the sustainable development of traditional settlements through model regeneration projects.
With that, seemingly random but brilliantly crafted artwork appears sporadically around this small location, sowed onto the benches and the trees, and adorning the local buildings. Pavliani forest and recreation park, located between Ano and Kato Pavliani, also follow suit. Locals have assembled a gentle hike that leads you through the forest with relentless and unique swings available at every opportunity and, of course, fun artwork leading travellers through a genuinely wholesome walk.
The “footpath of the unknown artist” offers a pleasant walk between Ano and Kato Pavliani, which comes with a clear footpath to the waterfall. The hand-painted wooden signs, created by locals, offer the clearest indication of the ethos that surrounds this quite original place. While Mykonos, Santorini and other headline Greek travel destinations will continue to lure in the large crowds, smaller communities in mainland Greece are working their artistic fingers to the bone in order to offer a magical alternative. While the location offers unrivalled nature spots, the community spirit and shared desire for exhibiting their home make Pavliani – and the Vasilikia Mountain Farm – simply one of a kind.
Vasilikia Mountain Farm is open all year round, and details of the availability can be found here.
