Lemnos is an island which is unspoilt from mass tourism and therefore still retains much of its wild and natural beauty. It belongs to the group of North-Eastern Aegean island and is to be found between the islands of Samothraki and Lesvos. Lemnos is about. 480 sq. km, with a population of 18,000 people. The main town and port is Myrina which is located to the south west of the island. Moudros is the second largest town and lies centrally on the island to the south.
Lemnos has a fertile lava soil and its economy is based mainly on fishing and farming. Smooth hills and mountains which are littered with tiny country churches, traditional stone houses, numerous sandy beaches as well as a wonderfully clear sea and two large lakes frequented by pink flamingos, give the island a unique and varied beauty. The volcanic, rocky, soil formations also add to the island's unique character. Lemnos is a must for fishing enthusiasts and walkers, as well as wind-surfers.
According to Greek mythology, the island's first inhabitants were the Thracian Sintians. The Argonauts also visited Lemnos, on their way to Colchis - they discovered only women on the island (all the men had been murdered). The Argonauts consorted with the Lemnian women - their descendants were the Minyans. Lemnos is also remembered in the story of Philoctetes, the famous archer and a Greek hero in the Trojan Wars. On the way to Troy he was bitten by a snake, his foot ulcerated and he was abandoned on the desolate island of Lemnos. He lived in a cave and recovered from his wounds with the help of healing, volcanic, Lemnian soil.
Archaeological excavations in the ancient site of Poliochni and in the Temple of Kaveirio brought to light early settlements from the Bronze Age. Lemnos witnessed the rule of the Persians, the Athenians (they built Hephaesteia Town), the Romans and the Byzantine Empire. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Lemnos became prey to pirate raids. In mid 14C it was occupied by the Genoese, then the Venetians and then the Turks - Lemnos stayed part of the Ottoman Empire until well after the Balkan Wars. The island joined the new Greek state in 1920.
Lemnos has a rich history, some mythical, some factual, which still survives in the numerous archaeological sites as well as in its museums. You can visit the remains of the prehistoric settlement of Poliochni, the Temple of Kaveirio (also site of the cave of Philoktetes), the newly excavated Theatro in Hephaesteia, as well as the Museums (Archaeological Museum in Myrina, Poliochni Museum).
Lemnos has a fertile lava soil and its economy is based mainly on fishing and farming. Smooth hills and mountains which are littered with tiny country churches, traditional stone houses, numerous sandy beaches as well as a wonderfully clear sea and two large lakes frequented by pink flamingos, give the island a unique and varied beauty. The volcanic, rocky, soil formations also add to the island's unique character. Lemnos is a must for fishing enthusiasts and walkers, as well as wind-surfers.
According to Greek mythology, the island's first inhabitants were the Thracian Sintians. The Argonauts also visited Lemnos, on their way to Colchis - they discovered only women on the island (all the men had been murdered). The Argonauts consorted with the Lemnian women - their descendants were the Minyans. Lemnos is also remembered in the story of Philoctetes, the famous archer and a Greek hero in the Trojan Wars. On the way to Troy he was bitten by a snake, his foot ulcerated and he was abandoned on the desolate island of Lemnos. He lived in a cave and recovered from his wounds with the help of healing, volcanic, Lemnian soil.
Archaeological excavations in the ancient site of Poliochni and in the Temple of Kaveirio brought to light early settlements from the Bronze Age. Lemnos witnessed the rule of the Persians, the Athenians (they built Hephaesteia Town), the Romans and the Byzantine Empire. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Lemnos became prey to pirate raids. In mid 14C it was occupied by the Genoese, then the Venetians and then the Turks - Lemnos stayed part of the Ottoman Empire until well after the Balkan Wars. The island joined the new Greek state in 1920.
Lemnos has a rich history, some mythical, some factual, which still survives in the numerous archaeological sites as well as in its museums. You can visit the remains of the prehistoric settlement of Poliochni, the Temple of Kaveirio (also site of the cave of Philoktetes), the newly excavated Theatro in Hephaesteia, as well as the Museums (Archaeological Museum in Myrina, Poliochni Museum).
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