By Nicolas Bard

In the 1950s and 1960s, when urbanization appeared, many areas of the Greek province were deserted as their inhabitants sought a better future in the big cities. They took a few things with them, bid farewell to their own and became internal immigrants, with most of them gathering in Athens. The installation in large urban centers was a one -way street, as there were more opportunities for work, but this trend has resulted in many villages that once fought for life, now close to “erase” the map. One of them is the picturesque Lasta Arcadia, which until the half of the last century measured 2,500 inhabitants, and today only two people stay in the village.

In the old days the village had a school, the church of St. George was always filled on Sundays, all the chimneys from the houses were smoking, while the cafes and the straits of the village never stopped. Now, the quietness there is deafening, almost spooky, and nothing reminds of the once vibrant mountain village of Arcadia. The traditional Lasta is built at 1,060 meters altitude on the slopes of Mainalos, in a beautiful natural landscape, 60 kilometers from the city of Tripoli. Going up to the village you will enjoy a panoramic view of the highway of Vytina, and, if the weather allows, your eye will reach Helmos and Erymanthos. Shortly before you reach the village, you will also pass through the so -called “Rock of Kolokotronis”, with the particular geological appeal.

It is known from our sources that the village exists as early as 1693, and during the revolution of 1821 it played an important role and actively participated in the struggle for liberation from the Turkish yoke. From there came many captains of the Revolution, such as George Papazafiropoulos, a military priest of Kolokotronis. For this reason, Egyptian Pasha Ibrahim burned twice the village in 1826, leaving only a house upright. From the 1950s onwards the village slowly began to desert, as its inhabitants left the large urban centers of our country and abroad. Of course, of course, they have never forgotten their homeland and returned to the holidays, but the village would never be the same again …

Going there today you will not see a touristly used village with taverns, cafes and hotels. There is only a community hostel, for those who wish to stay overnight, but most are just going for a walk, walking in the picturesque straits of the village, worshiping the historic Ai George and admire the natural landscape, as the village is surrounded by a throat. In the small square of the village there is also a traditional café, but it is a self -service. There the visitor can bake his coffee alone, and if he wishes to leave his oval in the shop piggy bank. The only obligation of everyone is to respect the place and keep the space clean for the next. It is a historic building, as Ibrahim Pasha was there during the revolution of 1821, and today you will see hanging frames with ’21 fighters, old and rare photos of the village and many maps. A few minutes there are enough to “travel” back in time and take a solid dose of the beauty of the Greek province.