Travelling within the Peloponnese Page 9 (see Greece train map)

Tripolis to Leftron

There are four daily trains to the south, which has beautiful scenery, with small valleys, and narrow river gorges with boulders, and dramatic mountains. Multi-arched stone railway bridges are also beautiful features of this area, dating from the late 19th century. It is recommended that you not take the express if you want a quiet ride, as the condition of the railway leaves something to be desired, and can be very bumpy on the fast train. The first stop is the station at Makri, near which are the remains of Pallantion, supposedly the mother city of Rome, which gave way in importance to Megalopolis. The railway after Makri climbs the Pass of Kaloyerikos ('kaloyeros' meaning 'monk') at 810meters, and passing over several stone bridges, and on to the plain of Assea. The railway line runs on a terrace just above the pass, and is the highest point on the Greek railways (817meters).

Straight ahead is the mountain range of Taigetos, sacred to the twins Apollo and Artemis, and which takes up the greater part of the middle prong of the Peloponnese, dividing Lakonia from Messenia. This range offers great trekking possibilities. The rail line heads west around 2400 meter Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah). The Assea station is a few kilometers from the village, near the headwaters of the River Alpheos. The ancient acropolis of Assea is on an isolated hill about 150meters northeast of the station, the city continually inhabited from the Bronze Age to the Mycenaean era, and then reoccupied during Hellenistic times. Helper locomotives used to help trains over the mountain during recent times, with a large stone water tower left as a reminder of those days. Between Assea and the Leftron junction for Megalopoli the railway passes through Rutsi and through truly lovely countryside with tunnels, and stone viaducts along the way. For details about Megalopoli, see the article on this city.

Leftron to Kalamata

South of the Leftron junction the line circumnavigates the Taigetos mountains, passing through many tunnels and the route is quite sinuous. It is sad to see neglected stone stations during this stretch in the isolated villages of Xrani, Issari, and Desylla, which manifest the abandonment of villages as people move to the cities (a trend that has been going on for a long time all over Greece, and especially since the disastrous years of World War II and the subsequent Greek Civil War (1946-49). Olive orchards precede the stops at the larger villages of Diavolitsi and Kentriko, followed by Zevgolatio station and the province/prefecture of Messinia. Zevgolatio is at the upper end of the Messenian plain and is the junction for Kyparissia, Pyrgos, and Patras on the western coast of the Peloponnese. There is a café next to the station. The route continues down the fertile, cultivated plain, with a stop in the market town of Meligala ('honey-milk', literally) which has an enormous clock tower (which is visible from the train). This area was ancient Steniklaros, which was royal headquarters for a Dorian city, though its remains have not been found. The remains of Messene are just past Meligala (See ancient Messene article), followed by Valyri, Plati, Aris, and Thouria, the Asprokhroma station, and the rail junction for the modern town of Messenia (which may or may not have reopened). If open, however, it passes in front of the Kalamata Airport. The end of the line is the attractive Kalamata rail station. See Kalamata article for details on this city.

Trains from Kalamata include two a day to Kyparissia, seven from Kyparissia to Pyrgos, which go on to Patras; four to Tripoli (and on to Argos and Corinth). Both routes end up in Athens (if that's where you want to go). Kalamata is a good base for exploring the southern Peloponnese via bus and car rental, but if you want to explore the Mani , a better base from which to do this isYithio/Gytheio, which also offers access to the islands of Crete (Kriti), and Kythira.

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