Travel Guide Mytilini

Welcome to Lesbos!Main port and capital of the island, Mytilene is built on hills planted with olive and pine trees. The Genoese fortress of Gattilusi which dominates the port immediately catches the visitor's attention. Seat of many administrations and the Aegean University, the city vibrates all year round, driven by a dynamic student and cultural abundance more than by tourism.Between Ermou Street, the main shopping street where the bazaar was located, and the hill of Kastro is a picturesque old neighborhood that keeps the traces of the Ottoman occupation. You will see the Yeni Tzami mosque, built in the nineteenth century, unfortunately in urgent need of renovation, and the hammam Tsarsi, recently reopened to visitors. The surrounding area retains a historic commercial activity, with various craft shops or secondhand trades. Elsewhere, pediments, columns or small towers adorn the beautiful bourgeois houses of Mytilene and testify to its wealth accumulated at the end of the 19th century: walk through the streets of the capital, especially in the district of Kioski which spreads out below the Kastro, and admire the neoclassical or Bavarian style houses which are an integral part of the architectural identity of Mytilene. If the modern city is built in an amphitheater around the southern part of the harbor, the ancient city preserves some remains of its polygonal wall near Aghia Kyriaki, in the northern part of the harbor. A great historical and geographical gap for a city that has kept the marks of a particularly rich history! Take the time to discover it and mingle with the residents in one of the many traditional cafes and ouzeries that dot the streets and are the heart of local life.Mytilene has a vibrant cultural and museum scene. You can visit the beautiful archaeological and Byzantine museums, before going, about 5 km south, to the village of Varia, which houses two unmissable and unique museums in Greece: the museum of modern art Teriade and the Theophilos museum.Finally, the beach of Tsamakia is a large and pleasant bay 10 minutes walk from Sappho Square, where you can cool off.