The picturesque village of Geraki, resting gently on the slopes of Mount Parnon in Laconia, is located approximately 39 km southeast of Sparta. Over the millennia, Geraki has benefitted from both its agricultural setting and its strategic location. The fertile, iron-rich lands girding the village have brought prosperity to its residents. In recent decades, animal husbandry and grain cultivation have yielded almost entirely to olive production, the mainstay of the modern regional economy.
The village has also profited from its position at the crossroads of significant routes traversing Parnon—from Sparta to the Malea peninsula and from the interior to Gytheio, the ancient port of Sparta, or Skala, the modern seat of the Municipality of Evrotas. Two high hills—Dontakia (the site of the acropolis) and Palaiokastro (the medieval castle)—assert the village’s important ancient and medieval heritage, while the elegant stone houses, ornate portals, and paved plateia preserve the imprints of more modern populations.
Sharon E. J. Gerstel and Sofia Pitouli, eds., Weaving Dreams: Kilims from Geraki, Laconia. Athens 2024 (Books available through the UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture or the Benaki Museum).
Politistikos Syllogos Geronthron, Ιστορία και… ιστορίες της Κεντρικής Πλατείας Γερακίου (1790–1990). Geraki 2020.
Nikolaos Giannes, “Η υφαντική παράδοση στον όρθιο αργαλειό με τη μέθοδο της ταπισερί στους ιστορικούς οικισμούς του Πάρνωνα, Γεράκι Λακωνίας και Λεωνίδιο Αρκαδίας. Μέτρα διαφύλαξης και ενέργειες για την ένταξη στον Κατάλογο της Άυλης Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς της UNESCO.” MA thesis, Hellenic Open University, Athens 2017 (https://apothesis.eap.gr/archive/item/156960).
Nikolaos Giannes, “Υφαντά του κόσμου. Η υφαντική τέχνη σε όλες της χώρες του κόσμου” (https://ifenokilimi.blogspot.com).
Tasos Gritsopoulos, Ἱστορία τοῦ Γερακίου. Athens 1982.
Photis Kontoglou. Καστρολόγος. Athens 1987.
Panagiotis Poulitsas. Λεύκωμα Γερακιού. Athens 1940.
Nikos Zacharakis, “Υφαίνοντας στο παρελθόν και το παρόν.” MA thesis, University of Ioannina. Ioannina 2011.
After visiting the weaving school, learn about the village’s Byzantine churches and its imposing castle. To visit a second important weaving center in the region, take the picturesque drive to Leonidio (1½ hours), where you can visit the Tsouchlou Mansion (the site of a weaving school) and wander the beautiful streets of this sea-side village. Close to Geraki is the stunning fortified village of Monemvasia and the Byzantine site of Mystras. The drive to Gytheion (through Skala), takes the visitor to the entryway of the Mani, a rugged peninsula marked by tower villages and numerous Byzantine churches. In Mani, stop in Areopolis to wander its streets, shop at a traditional bakery, and visit the Pikoulakis’ Tower-House: Museum. The village of Polydroso (Tsintzina), a short drive through the mountains from Geraki, offers a number of hiking trails. The village of Kosmas, 15 minutes from Geraki, offers an important Folk Museum and a beautiful setting for contemplating the natural beauty of Parnon. For a day of museums, Sparta offers the Archaeological Museum of Sparta (with an important new museum under construction), the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil, and the Koumantareios Art Gallery of Sparta.
Learn more here: Visit Geraki