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Moreas Peak Lodge
Magouliana, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece
Moreas Peak Lodge
Magouliana, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece
Modern Mountain Fortress
With its rustic original stonework and extensive wood interior elements, this fully remodeled, 100-year-old mountain tower backs into a rugged hillside in the Peloponnese outside the region’s highest mountain village, a mythical land of gods and revolutionaries.
This reimagined tower stairsteps up its wild hillside, a sturdy, scenic Greek retreat topped by a red tile roof, its strong vertical line broken by suspended terraces that offer expansive mountain vistas, with patios on every level. Connected outside by stony stairs tumbling down the steep lot, the heritage property’s patios are made private by fortress-like enclosure walls. Interiors combine the comfort of exposed local stone with the warm embrace of wood found in the wall paneling and reconfigured, lofted ceilings crossed by industrial-inspired rafters. Contemporary lighting, mezzanine perches, a modern woodstove/fireplace and an open plan common area that holds the kitchen/dining and living space give the historic home its industrial modern feel. Bedroom suites are cozy and cabin-like, clad with wood and fortified by original stone, with minimalist, modern steel furnishings and spacious, ensuite, spa-inspired baths adding an industrial edginess to the ancient cachet.
AROUND
Located just outside the highest village and mountain in the Peloponnese, the property occupies a slope near fir-tree covered Mount Mainalo near Magouliana, an ancient amphiteatrical settlement set at an altitude of 1,365 meters (almost 4,500 feet). The small, stone village of a few hundred residents is set in mythical, ancient Arcadia, the wilderness that was home to the god Pan and a believed Utopia where dryads, nymphs and other spirits frolicked. Hermes and boar-hunter Atalanta, daughter of the Arcadian king, were said to roam the rugged region, and for centuries, European artists, poets, and intellectuals have referred to Arcadia’s high, wooded peaks as a place of infinite peace, fertility and happiness.
Pan is one of Greece’s most ancient gods, the strong, injury impervious overseer of nature and the woods, and the ruler of hunters and shepherds. Considered the god of the wild, Pan’s Arcadian homeland, and the village of Magouliana more specifically, was a notable site of resistance during the Greek Revolution, too. In the summer of 1825, the village was destroyed, though its 17th century church with its remarkable wood altar remains, and the ruins of Argyrokastro Castle soar over the village. Traditional taverns and small cafes surround the village’s central meeting place anchored around a giant plane tree, and the site is a listed “traditional settlement.” The wider area’s ecosystem has been registered in the Natura 2000 treaty, a European Community initiative to protect areas of unique animal and natural habitats in order to preserve biodiversity. Hiking, mushroom foraging and even skiing at the nearby resort and retreat in Ostrakina are among the region’s outdoor draws, and the Lousios River’s origin spring is found on Mainalo mountain, deep in the canyon where medieval monastery ruins remain.
LOCATION
Magouliana, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Nearest airport: Athens, 2 hours
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Open weekends December to March; weekdays by request only
