The Lousios (; ), also known in antiquity as Gortynius or Gortynios (),
is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
and a
gorge in western
Arcadia that stretches from
Karytaina north to
Dimitsana in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. The river begins near
Lykochori and flows through the Lousios Gorge. The river is treacherous and flows rapidly. It empties into the
Alfeios northwest of Karytaina and south of
Atsicholos.
The river forms a deep, narrow gorge. Its length is approximately from north to south and its width is approximately wide. The gorge is very popular amongst hikers. At the northern end of the gorge lies the town of
Dimitsana. At the southern end is the ancient city of
Gortys with the temple of
Asclepius. Much of the gorge is heavily forested, and there are steep cliffs.
According to tradition, the river took its name from
Zeus, the father of the
Olympian gods, who according to
Pausanias washed at its sources after his birth. Pausanias also considered Lousios the coldest river in the known world.
The Lousios gorge is also known as the "
Mount Athos of the Peloponnese" on account of the many monasteries that dot its walls: the Timiou Prodromou, Philosophou, Aimyalon, Panagias Kalamiou monasteries, and the Church of St. Andrew in Gortys.
The gorge also features several old water-mills for
tabac and
gunpowder production.
Nearest places
*
Lykochori
*
Dimitsana, east of the river
*
Stemnitsa, east of the river
*
Gortyna, west of the river
*
Atsicholos, west of the river
*
Elliniko, east of the river
Gallery
Image:Dimitsana-Panorama.jpg, A view of Megalopoli and the Alfeios valley from Dimitsana
Image:Podromos.jpg, Prodromou Monastery
Image:Philosophou.jpg, Philosophou Monastery
Image:lousiosgorge_with-monasteries.jpg, Prodromou Monastery at left, Philosophou Monastery at right
File:Lousios River.jpg, Lousios river
References
External links
Landforms of Arcadia, Peloponnese
Rivers of Greece
Rivers of Peloponnese (region)
Canyons and gorges of Greece
Places in Greek mythology
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