Viotia is a highly agricultural region; its name derives from the Greek adjective “viotos” or “vootis” which meant cowherd, sodbuster and farmer in the Archaic Greece. This prefecture, between the Corinthian Gulf and the Evian Gulf, is surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Parnassos and Elikonas (or Helicon), while there are also small rivers and two lakes.
It is a region with particularly rich mythology and history since the ancient times. The Muses lived in Mount Elikonas, Thebes was birthplace of Hercules and the highest peak of Parnassos was the place where the floating chest of Deucalion and Pyrrha - the parents of Hellen, the mythological progenitor of all Greeks (“Hellenes” in the Greek language) - touched solid ground after the flood. The world’s oldest city, Graia was also located here and the kingdom of Cadmus was situated in Thiva, once he conquered the region along with the Phoenicians and the tragic stories of his descendants became known through the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.
Obviously there are too many stories to narrate concerning a region with such a rich history and mythology. Let us mention that Viotia thrived during the Byzantine period thanks to its location and to the silkworm rearing, but then followed the destiny of the rest of the conquered by the Ottomans areas. Viotia participated in the Greek revolution and the Greek warriors Athanasios Diakos, Odysseas Androutsos and Karaiskakis gave the lead in heroic battles.
Your tour can include the cities of Thiva and Livadia which are located on a plain, the cosmopolitan mountain village of Arachova, the lush slopes of Mount Parnassos, Mount Elikonas which is the home of the Muses and the beautiful beaches of Agios Isidoros and Alyki.
Take advantage of the short distances and combine mountain and sea all year round. Viotia can definitely offer you this opportunity!