Mytilini is the capital of the island of Lesvos. It is one of the oldest cities in Greece, perhaps in the whole world, which has been inhabited on the same soil for thousands of years.

Its establishment initially on the islet, where the Castle is located, is placed by the pseudo-Herodotus in the work “Life of Homer” 130 years after the fall of Troy, i.e. in 1053 BC, if the fall took place in 1183, as supported. Its great heyday occurred in the 7th-6th century with Pittacus, Alcaeus and Sappho.

It took its name from Mytilini, one of the daughters of Makaros, the first settler of Lesbos.

The current form of the Municipality came from the amalgamation of Mytilini with the picturesque communities of Loutra, Taxiarchon, Panayouda, Moria, Alyphanto, Afalona, ​​Pamphilo and Agia Marina, overgrown with olive groves and with a wonderful view of the sea. It is 188 miles from Piraeus and has 25,000 inhabitants.

From the impressive preserved neoclassical buildings of Mytilene and its thermal baths, to the historical monuments and the world-unique mosaics of Menander’s house that are exhibited today in the New Archaeological Museum of Mytilene, today’s Municipality, a continuation of ancient Mytilene, “excavates” its historical identity and creates the infrastructure of a modern city for the 3rd millennium. The Municipality of Mytilene aspires and plans to marry the historic city with its future needs.

The city is built on 7 hills, with the main areas being Kioski, the central complex of the old districts and the western districts which are constantly expanding. Kioski, the old aristocratic quarter of Mytilene which now houses the new Archaeological Museum of Mytilene, is located a short distance from the Venetian castle, in the area that was in ancient times isolated by the Euripus channel, which had several bridges along it .

This channel connected the southern with the northern port, but over time it was covered and the two parts of the city were united. In Kioski there are still authentic mansions of the typical traditional architecture of Lesvos. The central artery that crosses the Kioski leads to the northern harbor where the broken pier and other ruins of a bygone era can be seen.

At a short distance from the port, ancient ruins were found and the mouth of the channel mentioned above was pointed out, which in ancient times divided Mytilene into two parts and made the whole complex where the castle is located, a small island.

In various parts of this northern sector of Mytilene, important ruins of ancient and Roman buildings have come to light. Starting from the Customs office, one reaches the mansion that houses the old Archaeological Museum and then on the extension of the coastal road is the EOT beach, the small clean beach “t’ Apiili” and near it on a small hill of the pine tree the strangely styled bust of Obviously, which was created and donated to the Municipality of Mytilini by the American artist Erietta Force.

A few kilometers from the city of Mytilini and the capital of the island of Lesvos, is Neapoli. An area covered with pine trees and at the same time seaside, with many holiday homes and places for recreation and entertainment.

The main element that dominates here is the relaxed rhythms of life and rest. An area not far from the city and at the same time so remote thanks to its architecture and location, that make it a small suburb. Luxury hotel units, cafes, bars, restaurants and taverns are at your disposal all year round. A road junction between Mytilini and the surrounding villages, Neapoli is a point of reference for those who visit it.

A short distance from Neapolis, is Varia, a small suburb with a unique artistic history: there are the museums of the famous Lesbian painters, the popular Theophilos Hatzimihalis, and the modern art museum and the library of the technocritic Stratis Eleftheriadis – Teiade, with great works by Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, Tsarouchi and many other artists.

As we climb, on our way we meet the villages of Taxiarchis, Ag. Marina and Pligoni. Each one separate and unique. Kayani or Taxiarches perched high on the eastern slopes of Amali with a wonderful view from the picturesque taverns it has.

It is crowned by the imposing rock and adorned by the large temple of the Taxiarch, Byzantine Cross Order. It was built between 1903 and 1958. In its place there was a smaller temple to which belonged as a fresco (from the 17th century) the Taxiarch of the south wall, which in this temple is enclosed in an iconostasis.

In the market there is the old fountain of 1753 (renovated in 1875). The underground springs (at Agia Thekla), with arched brick arcades, are noteworthy. In this ravine, there is the post-Byzantine church of Panagia Potamousa, while in the rock of Agios Bartholomew (ravine to Loutra), the cave with the Neolithic site.

Continuing we meet Agia Marina with old picturesque cobblestones and lots of greenery. Down in the village is the Trikleti Basilica of Agia Marina which was built in 1797, and together with its surroundings have been designated as archaeological sites. It has a beautiful wood-carved iconostasis and despotic of 1839. The church has been built with architectural elements (chests, amphicles, etc.) from the Byzantine temple located high in Amali (Our Lady of Amali) in a wonderful view in the Pefkas. Here is also the mansion of the Bernardaki family, while a monumental fountain was made in 1818. Down on the beach (Neapolis) an Early Christian Basilica (of the Argalos) has been excavated, with a baptistery, while the central nave had mosaics. It is a 5th century building. Above the airport, the sources of the Lagada river, with a well and a water tower, provided their water for the water supply of Mytilini green slope.

After Neapolis, we meet Kratigo, with beaches, nightclubs, the state airport and the Indoor Basketball Gym. During the construction of the airport, ruins of temples, Byzantine and Hellenistic vessels and coins were found. It is probable that the temple of Apollo mentioned by Thucydides was in the area.

At a distance of 16 km from Neapoli, and after passing the beach of Charamida, we come across the pine-covered area of ​​Ag. Hermogenes with the homonymous church, built on a rock. Crystal clear waters and tavernas on the beach, fresh fish and local ouzo await you.