You will find yourself at the northern part of Peloponnese, in the prefecture of Achaea, if you drive from Athens or via the largest cable bridge in the world in case you departed from the northwest of the country, or even by a ferry boat from Italy to the port of the third largest city in Greece, Patra, the capital of the prefecture.
Achaea has wonderful beaches of all kinds, mountains, one of which, Helmos, has an amazing ski resort; heady rivers where lovers of river sports can spend their time, Kalavryta, a beautiful mountainous village with a long suffering history, historical and religious monuments, places of interest as well as other gorgeous villages. Moreover, it has a cave with several lakes and the cogwheel railway, but the most impressive of all is the known Carnival of Patra with lots of dancing and reveling.
According to Pausanias, the area was first inhabited by the Pelasgians, who founded several settlements in Aegialia, then by the Ionians, who came from Athens and later it was named Achaea by the Achaeans, who occupied the area in 1088 BC and founded Patra and Leontio.
The Achaeans founded the first federal association in history, the "Achaean Confederacy I" or “League of the Achaeans”, which evolved in a role model of the democratic confederacy of Greek cities. This lasted till the occupation of Achaea by the Macedonians, but when the Macedonian army was defeated in 281 BC by the Galatians, the Achaean cities rose in revolt and founded a new confederacy, the “Achaean Confederacy II", which included almost the entire Peloponnese. Then, the Romans caused many upheavals and later it was occupied by the Franks during the 13^th century after many years of financial prosperity during the Byzantine era. In 1430, Constantine Paleologos, the Byzantine emperor, who freed the country from the Franks, but which was, then, conquered by the Turks, the Venetians and the Turks once again till the liberation of Greece.
Among the historical facts mentioned briefly above is also the beginning of the revolution of 1821 in Agia Lavra, which, as it is said, led to the general uprising and liberation of the country. But, in these same places, where the struggle for freedom began, almost a century later atrocious scenes took place during World War II.
Achaea with its diverse beauty, ranging from the urban landscape of Patra up to the steep slopes of Erymanthos, welcomes its guests all year round. For one to experience all the seasons in this prefecture, he/she could start from the snowy slopes of Helmos in the winter, after visiting the Carnival in Patra to be transferred to the odoriferousmeadows during the spring, while he/she could pick a coastal village for its beautiful beach in the summer and, during the fall, enjoy the numerous colorations of the mountainous landscapes and ascend to the banks of Ladonas River. Pick out your favorite season and Achaea will welcome you with open arms!