Hydra - Introduction
Welcome to Hydra. Welcome to this island frozen in time but yet a top modern jet-setting hot spot. Hydra has not only managed to keep its legacy intact over the centuries but has become a trendy destination in doing so. Its classic profile as the home of several shipping-magnate families hasn’t changed much, as it still enjoys an aristocratic following and sees many second and third-generation natives visiting large family mansions throughout the summer here. My name is Georgia. I’ve been working as a professional tourist guide for many years and together we will explore one of the most visited and at the same time peaceful islands of Greece.HOW TO USE THIS APPBefore we start our tour, it’s useful to tell you how to use this app.As you can see from the display window on your audio player, each of the stops on this tour has its own title. You can skip ahead or tailor your itinerary to your own tastes.Navigating the narrow-cobbled streets on your own can be confusing, and it’s easier to just follow the tour in the order I’ve laid out. To help you along, I‘ve invited my colleague Mary – Welcome, Mary!- Hi – or as we say here in Greece, “yassas”.Mary will give you directions from one stop to the next. After listening to her directions, you can pause the audio guide, then restart it when you are ready to see the next point of interest. To help you along, there’s a handy companion map available for this tour.Now, let’s dive into Hydra. Mary, get us started. - Once off the boat, you can either move to the center of the harbor or follow the road to your left. So, turn left and proceed with the sea in your left hand. Georgia?Thanks Mary.
Hydra - Historical Overview
As you continue ahead, let me give you a little historical context so you understand the important role of this small island in the history of the Greek nation.Very little is known about the history of Hydra until the beginning of the Ottoman rule. During the Ottoman domination, the Turks had little interest on the island because of its lack of water. The island began to acquire a powerful merchant fleet during the 17th century, but the plague of 1792 wiped out a great number of the population and those who survived moved away. Things improved for Hydra in the 18th century, when it became powerful and prosperous because of its highly developed commercial fleet, trading with all of Greece and even abroad, with France, Spain, and America.The superiority of the island's fleet reached its peak during the Napoleonic wars and with the creation of the Merchant Marine Academy, was able to monopolize the sea transport throughout the Mediterranean. The inhabitants of Hydra were beginning to fear attacks from the Ottoman fleet, so they used their wealth to fortify the harbor with bastions of cannons, and their fleet power during the Greek Revolution against the Turkish yoke.The heroism of their crews became famous all-around Europe and is still honored today. Two of the most heroic figures of Hydra were the ship owners Andreas Miaoulis and Lazaros Koundouriotis, who contributed to the revolution. The superiority of the island's ships and the heroism of its inhabitants was one of the most determining factors in the success of the revolution.After World War II, the economy of Hydra went through a difficult phase. It recovered slightly with fishing and sponge fishing but declined again due to the restrictions of financial assistance to the sponge fishing enterprises from the Greek Agricultural bank. In the 1950s, Hydra became a center of artistic creation for many artists who used its magical scenery as the main theme of inspiration.
Stop 1 - National Merchant Marine Academy
I'm sure by the time you hear this little historical review, you've already got to the Merchant marine Academy, an impressive tall stone building, with light blue windows, like many public buildings on the island, with the Greek flag and the historic flag of Hydra dominating its entrance.The National Merchant Marine Academy of Hydra is the first naval academy in Greece. This academy was founded in 1749.Before the Greek revolution, there were Portuguese and Italian instructors who taught naval theory and languages at this school. Since 1930, the academy on Hydra has been in a manor, where Anastasios Tsamados, a Greek admiral of the Greek War of Independence and Athanasios Koulouras, a merchant captain and great benefactor of the island, lived. The manor was given to the State to be used for the academy. The Naval Society of Hydra turned it into a private naval college in 1937 till the end of 1948.Due to the prestige of the academy, the naval cadets are allowed to go on container ships as crew in order to get practical experience. The compulsory service for the students amounts to four years. The professors here are famous for their papers on stars and astrophysics while the academy also provides training seminars for outside organizations.Too important achievements for such a small island, don’t’ you think?
Stop 2 - The Statue of Antonis Oikonomou
Right next to the National Merchant Marine Academy, you cannot miss a statue; a bust of a man. Who is he? His name is Antonis Oikonomou and he is a Hydriot captain that played a crucial role in getting Hydra to join the liberation efforts of the Greek Revolutionary War of 1821, despite the resistance of several of the island’s nobles. Though Hydra did eventually join the fight, Oikonomou paid with his life for it, as he was murdered by conspirators, in December of 1821.His statue surrounded by cannons is the minimum tribute of Hydra and all the Greeks for him.
Stop 3 - The Historical Archive Museum
Just a few steps after the statue of Oikonomou, you will find yourself in front of an impressive arched door, which is the entrance to the Historical Museum of Hydra. Right next to the entrance, there are some old anchors, signs of the rich nautical impression of the island.This museum was founded in 1918 and it is housed in an elegant stone mansion that belonged to a local shipowner, named Gikas Koulouras. In 1996, the building was renovated and today it is the most impressive mansion at the port of Hydra.The museum hosts the historical archives that were kept for years inside the Church of Assumption of Virgin Mary. These archives include educational, administrative, and religious archives, manuscripts from the Greek Revolution, old books, map, and others. The museum also hosts relics from the Balkans Wars and the two World Wars, traditional costumes, carvings, naval instruments and painting works by well-known artists on the first floor.Throughout the rest of the museum, visitors can peruse a vast library containing over 4000 volumes, as well as the Historical Archives including hand-written documents by some of the island’s and country’s founding figures. A more peculiar artifact is a silver vessel containing the preserved heart of Andreas Miaoulis who will see at our next stop and I will talk about him extensively.But why not go in and admire the exhibits? I definitely suggest it. So, Mary, I need your directions now, please.- Sure, Georgia! Well, moving forward, we will meet, in our right hand, a row of wide and stone steps. Ιf you raise your head, you will definitely notice the back of a tall statue and some cannons.Thank you, Mary!
Stop 4 - Andreas Miaoulis’ Statue
This impressive statue is of Andreas Miaoulis, an admiral and politician, who commanded Greek naval forces during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829).Miaoulis was known among his fellow islanders as a trader in corn who had gained wealth and made a popular use of his money. He had been a merchant captain, and was chosen to lead the naval forces of the islands when they rose against the government of the Sultan. Miaoulis contributed in every way possible to the cause of the resistance against the Turks. He expended the money he had made from his wheat-shipping business during the Napoleonic Wars. Between May 1825 and January 1826, Miaoulis led the Greeks to victory over the Turks in. He died on 24 June 1835 at Athens and was buried in Piraeus near the tomb of Themistocles, the founder of the ancient Athenian Navy. His heart rests in an urn at the Ministry of Commercial Navy.Andreas Miaoulis is rightly considered a national hero and the people of Hydra in order to honour him, organize a big festival, called Miaoulia, that takes place in Hydra every year at the weekend closest to 21 June.Ready to go? Not before you take some amazing pictures from up here!What is next Mary?- So, we have seen almost everything that counts on this side of the harbor. Now, we have to return back, to the point where we started, where the boat left us.Thank you Mary! But before that, please let me tell you that a 5-minute walks from here, the old slaughterhouse of the island is located which, for some years now, has been hosting the summer months, the most famous artists on the planet, under the umbrella of the DESTE Foundation and its owner, one of the most important art collectors in the world, Dakis Ioannou. World-renowned artists, top galleries from all over the world, exquisite collectors and jet-setting lovers of contemporary art are meeting here. From 2009 and every summer it is given to an artist, who is invited to present an exhibition specially designed for the specific space and the island. If you are sure that there is an exhibition that takes place at this moment, I guarantee that you must not miss this place.
Stop 5 - Equine Power
So, walking along the port, do not be surprised to see several donkeys lined up. It's no gimmick, Hydra really does depend entirely on equine power!How to tell the difference? A mule has bigger ears than a horse, donkeys have the biggest ears but are the shortest and have a cross over their shoulders.Mules are heavy loaders and are used to transport goods such as luggage, plants, white goods, furniture, shopping and building material. Horses tend to be used to transport people but only occasionally shopping or a couple of suitcases.Donkeys aren't as many on Hydra as they used to be and tend to be kept as pets or for personal transportation as they can't carry the enormous loads that mules can.The mules and horses that are available to ride or to transport luggage, are found in the East corner (Alpha Bank) of the harbour.Rides around the town are a popular activity if you want a short novelty ride. And if you ask me, no matter what, you cannot leave Hydra without taking this short ride on these very nice and obedient animals.
Stop 6 - Bratsera Hotel
Slightly leaving our route, at the point where you will meet the donkeys, if you take the road up, after 2-3 minutes walk, you will meet the Brachera hotel in your left hand. You will recognize it by its arched blue door with a sign that reads “Spong Export”.Bratsera is one of the most charming hotels in Hydra. Trust me, Ι have no advertising intention here. It is because this building has a vibrant history and a story that goes back to the 1860s when a merchant of Hydra, Nikolaos Verveniotis, bought 15 boats for sponge fishing by some English merchants who had visited the island. The boats started every May with supplies for six months and fished sponges along the shores of the entire Mediterranean. They returned in October with the sponges, washed them, sorted them according to the size and quality and packed them in balls for export. In 1893, Nikolaos bought the building, especially for the processing and storage of sponges, which were in great demand in Europe. After the war and the import of plastic sponges, the trade of sponges became very difficult. However, the factory continued sending sponges to Russia for its submarines’ needs until the end of the 1980s.Bratsera was the name of the mother ship where the spongers relaxed after solitary hours on the seafloor but also where the first processing of the sponges took place, before they arrived at the factory on Hydra. So, this name – Bratsera – was chosen by Verveniotis’ daughter to give to the hotel he built in the mid 1990s, restoring it with respect to its history and with passion.Whatever it is said about the aesthetics of Bracera is little. Each of its rooms, which are flooded with plenty of natural light, has a special character, combined modern decoration with old elements, whitewashed walls and nautical souvenirs. In every corner of the common areas there are objects of the glorious era of sponge fishing: machines, baskets, photographs, old books, thus creating an atmosphere that takes you to the bottom of the sea.Shall we go forward? Mary?- We return back to the place with the donkeys and continue our walk. In the next corner, you will see a small jewelry store.
Stop 7 - Olympic Medals
This small jewelry store on this small island carries a great honor. The owner, Elena Votsi, and the creator of the jewelry, was selected for the redesign of the Olympic medals for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games held in Athens. Her design is now used indefinitely for the Summer Games, with the host city creating a unique design on the reverse and their own size for the medal. Her signature will remain on the front façade of the medals for all following Olympic Games, in this way incorporating her work into an important part of modern history.Elena’s birthplace, the small Greek island of Hydra, always was and is an unending source of inspiration for the acclaimed Greek jewellery designer. Inspired by Hydra, her jewellery designs capture the serenity of the sea and the sky above Greece, where she lives and works.Photos are not allowed in the shop window. So, if you want to admire her work more and talk to either her or her assistant, enter this small but inspiring store.
Stop 8 - Traditional Pastry Shop
Right on the road that adjoins the jewellery store, you will see nailed up, a sign showing the road to the oldest patisserie of Hydra. In just a minute you will be in front of its entrance, located on your left-hand side.Almond has always been the favourite ingredient of traditional island sweets. I think that every island has at least a couple of almond sweets variations that travelled through time untouched, to stand out from so many desserts with their simplicity and quality: Honored as an ancient symbol of fertility, almonds and almond sweets are still present to weddings and important happy occasions.But in Hydra, they really know how to make them! Here, at Tsagaris pastry shop, you will have the chance to meet the queen of the almond sweets art, a gentle yet dynamic woman that devoted her life in doing something that makes people smile: preparing the most aromatic and flavoured almond sweets.Mrs Anna Tsagari is making those pear-shaped treats for more than fifty years. The workshop was established in 1930 and the secret of the Tsagaris almond sweets hasn’t changed since then: a great traditional recipe and the purest ingredients…. and love. Lots of love; Inside the original industrial-retro workshop, Mrs Anna followed some steps that she mastered well: the almonds were boiled, peeled and ground. Then, they were mixed with warm water, rose water and semolina, in order to create a paste. With that paste, she formed the characteristic shaped sweets that were sprinkled with powdered sugar and decorated with a carnation spice. Delicious! Have you tried them, yet?Mary, we will need your directions now.- Well, going up the road after the pastry shop, you will turn into the narrow alley that you will meet on your right and then immediately right again. You will go down two steps and take the road on your left. At the end of the road, you will find yourself in front of an electrical workshop, where you will go right. Just as you turn, you will see on your right a beautiful small square.- Thank you so much, Mary!
Stop 9 - The Square of 5 Prime Ministers
This square is called “The Square of 5 Prime Ministers. Walk the short path and you will see a monument with 5 masks. You must know that Hydra contributed to the Nation by giving to Greece one President and five Prime Ministers. These five prime ministers are depicted on the masks you see in front of you.You see, the island, Hydra, over the centuries, has actively participated in both the military and the political life of the country.
Stop 10 - The Old Pharmacy
Leaving the square from where you entered, and continuing in the same direction you had, at 20 meters, on your left hand side, you will find a pharmacy.It’s Rafalia pharmacy, one of the oldest in Europe and definetely one of the most beautiful, too. The pharmacy counts 400 years of operation. It is one of the island's sights and, for sure, a reference point for the Hydraeans who, from grandfather to grandfather, took their medicines from here.This unique pharmacy has kept its original structure and design for the past two generations and still operates as an everyday pharmacy. However, it looks and feels more like a museum, as a step through its door is similar to a step back in time.The pharmacy is monumental of cultural and architectural tradition since no interventions have been made in the building. The furniture remains the original, made of Swedish pine, wood extremely resistant to wear. The second area of the pharmacy is also noteworthy, where medical examinations used to be performed. Finally, there is a rare collection of porcelain and glass containers, utensils, an array of tools and pharmaceutical book editions.The current owner, Vangelis Rafalias, passionate about his profession and dedicated to his family business, was looking for ways to renew the pharmacy with such a long history. When he discovered some cosmetic recipes in his mother's diary decided to take their preparation seriously and continue its legacy. Thus, you can now find in his pharmacy colognes, creams, lotions, soaps, and many other excellent quality cosmetics, in tasteful packages and unique wrappers.But why don't you go inside to admire this picturesque pharmacy and meet Vangelis? Maybe you have the chance to talk with him about the stories of the Monument-Pharmacy.Time to sweat our shoes. It is a Greek idiomatic phrase which in other words means that it follows a difficult path. But do not be afraid. Simply, for our next stop, Leonard Cohen's house, we will need to climb several steps and we will definitely need Mary's impeccable orientation.- Leaving behind the old pharmacy, we will turn to the first alley on the right and immediately to the next left. Going up, you will meet on your left a bench, the only one on this route. Just opposite the bench, you will see some steps. We go upstairs and in front of us will appear a small greengrocer. At this point, we turn right and at the end of the road, at the house with the yellow door, we turn left and immediately right. The street has the name of the famous poet: Leonard Cohen Street.
Stop 11 - Leonard Cohen’s House
Please keep in mind that even if you get lost, any local can give you instructions. So, don’t get panic.Talking about the Leonard Cohen’s house, please allow me to be more poetic than usual.It is an oddity of culture that a tiny speck of land, this beautiful, sunny, warm Greek island, with a population of, more or less, 2000 people, has had a significant bearing on modern western art. However, with the crystalline azure of the sea, the moody mountain backdrop, and the scattered terracotta rooves, it’s not hard to envision how it enchanted so many artists with its singular beguiling beauty.In the 1960s, Leonard Cohen, with a coterie of friends, had washed up on its shore and begun to plunder its beauty, writing poems, songs and creating paintings. Cohen was twenty-five years old when he stepped foot into this bucolic, if rustic setting.Leonard lived full-time on Hydra for seven years, from 1960 to 1967. After then, he did occasionally visit Hydra for short breaks until a few years before his death in November 2016.The residents of Hydra knew him as Leonardo. That’s what they called him.Very uphill right? Here it is! The house of the famous poet and singer Leonard Cohen.In this simple 19th-century house, Cohen had fallen in love with, as much as he had fallen for the island itself. There, in the house that had no electricity or running water when he bought it, he wrote some of the most important works of his life, like the “Bird on the Wire”, inspired by the time when the telephone poles finally appeared, so did the birds. It was here that he met Marianne, his love and muse for several years that was the subject of Cohen's 1967 song "So Long, Marianne".So, Cohen bought the house for just $1500, an inheritance from his grandmother. He considered purchasing this property the best decision he ever made in his life, deciding to make as few changes as possible to the old building. The tree in the yard, the five rooms on different levels, the veranda, the traditional décor, he kept it all.He did, however, create a music room on the third floor. The house and the island were vital for his creativity. “Having this house makes cities less frightening. I can always come back and get by. But I don’t want to lose contact with the metropolitan experience,” he wrote.His family still owns this house. So, it is considered a private place that we cannot visit but standing in front of it, you can observe the three storey, whitewashed, with grey door and windows house and a bougainvillea spreading over the top of it.And if you stay silent for a while, perhaps you can hear Cohen, one of the most daring and affecting poet-songwriters in the world, sing softly one of his magnificent song lyrics and poems.
Stop 12 - Tetsis Home and Studio
Right after Cohen's house, you will meet Tetsis home and studio.Panagiotis Tetsis was a painter, academic and teacher. Tetsis was born on Hydra in 1925 and lived here his childhood, in his family home. During the last year of the Occupation, he entered the School of Fine Arts from which he graduated in 1949. With a scholarship he completed his studies at Paris School of Fine Arts in the period 1953-1956. In 1976 he was elected professor at the Fine Arts till 1991 while in 1989 he was elected rector. He died in Athens in March 2016 at the age of 91 and is buried on Hydra.His painting is characterized as an expression of expressionism and his work includes scenes of everyday life, portraits, landscapes and still life always in a game of bright colors and light.This building was used as his base on the island, having transformed the upper floor sitting room into a studio. The house is a typical hydriot home of the 19th- early 20th c. and was also used for the family’s professional activities: one aisle of the ground floor was devoted to a traditional candle manufactory and grocery shop-tavern. The donor’s wish was to have the house preserved as a unit, encompassing both the family home, and these workshop settings, including the wine cellar in the basement, all of which are preserved intact. His artist’s studio was to be enriched with a set of his own donated paintings.Today, after thoroughly documenting the house and its contents, the artist’s works and the objects (furniture, utensils, drawings, family photographs, personal items, archives, studio materials, workshop objects, bottles and boxes, scales, tools, candlemaking tools etc), they are all put on display in a manner highlighting the particular value of the ensemble.The Tetsis Home & Workshop is open to all visitors, upon request. So, if you wish to explore it, get in touch in advance with either Megaro Koundouriotis or the Historical Museum of Hydra in order to plan your visit.So, let’s go to our next stop. Mary? We need your help, one more time please.- Sure Georgia! At the end of the road, after Tetsis's house, we turn left and immediately right downhill. This road ends at a wall where we choose to go left. In front of us we see a large, imposing, wooden door of a church. Going right, we will fall on a saffron house.Here it is! Lazaros Koundouriotis mansion!
Stop 13 - Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion
Built in the era of naval prosperity of the island, late 18th century, the mansion stands on the west side of the harbour of Hydra. Lazaros Koundouriotis (1769-1852) was one of the most eminent political figures of Hydra, who offered his ships, crew and fortune to the Greek War of Independence. Significant meetings and consultations took place in this mansion, which offered hospitality to many important figures of the time, Greeks and foreigners.In 1979, the mansion came into the hands of the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece after being donated by Pandelis Koundouriotis. Since 2001, the Historic Residence operates as a museum, annex of the National Historical Museum. Today's visitor is impressed by the imposing exterior and peculiar interior of a Hydriote mansion.On the ground floor, the residence is presented with the Koundouriotis family heirlooms, as it was experienced by the last descendant of the family and donor of the residence, Pandelis Koundouriotis.On the first floor are representative works of Greek traditional folk art from the collections of the National Historical Museum, an art selection mainly from the Greek islands. At the same time, the work of the painter and academic Panayiotis Tetsis, paintings of landscapes of Hydra, demonstrate the special relationship of the artist with his homeland.In the basement, in the old cellars of the house, there is a Gallery displaying works of two renowned painters, in Greece and abroad, Periklis Vyzantios (1893-1972) and his son Konstantinos Vyzantios (1924-2007), who are closely connected to Hydra and the Koundouriotis family.Spend some time here! It is really worthy! Mary, what is next?- Well, the windmills. A specific one, though. Going down the stairs, in front of the entrance of the mansion, we will meet a fork, with steps to the right and left. We choose the left side and go up the stairs, going straight ahead, towards the sea. We cross the small forest that we will encounter. A sign that will assure us that we are going right, is a very characteristic square floor in the form of a chessboard, with a cross, which we meet on our right, in the woods. Continuing straight, we see a beautiful windmill.
Stop 14 - Sophia Loren’s Windmill
Thank you, Mary! Here, lies Phaedra's Windmill, also known as Sophia Loren's windmill, and right opposite stands a statue of a boy on a dolphin to commemorate this historic cinematic event. Sophia Loren’s English debut happens to be the first Hollywood movie filmed in Greece. The movie “Boy on a dolphin” was filmed in the autumn of 1956 when Loren was only 23 years old. Much of the film was shot in Hydra, but there were some scenes shot in Athens, Rhodes, and Delos as well. This was the first movie to showcase the stunning beauty of the Greek islands. The Sophia Loren song “S'Agapo” which means I love you and surrounds the film, was actually sung by American 'ghost singer' Marni Nixon, a dubbed-in singer that covered many Hollywood leading ladies in the mid-1950s and 60's. Sophia Loren referred to the Greek island of Hydra as “one of the most beautiful places in the world”. In an interview she had given to the New York Times when the journalist asked to name her favourite place where she made a film, the actress replied:“I did a picture, The Boy on a Dolphin, in Greece, in Hydra, one of the most beautiful places in the world. I remember it really with great, great joy. Because, for me, it was a moment of starting in the American cinema and I was starting my romance with my husband. It was a beautiful, euphoric moment for me. I will never forget Hydra”
Stop 15 - The Cathedral Church
Leaving the windmill behind us, we descend to the port of Hydra, always having the sea in our left hand.Just below the big clock, is the entrance to the Church Museum of Hydra and the Cathedral of the island.The historic monastery of Hydra, the Monastery of "Faneromeni" and now Cathedral of the Metropolis, is the jewel of this glorious island of so many heroes and saints. It's the Monastery - so call today - that acted during the period of slavery of the Nation and the days of the struggle for national revolution and took responsibilities and important initiatives. That’s why, the Monastery carries the nickname "Admiralty".The church is now an art museum, which is still the most important parish of Hydra.The architecture follows the shape of Byzantine monasteries with clear influences from the years after the Fall of Constantinople. The church is a three-aisled basilica with a dome. The aisles are separated by colonnades. It is made all from pure white marble with rich and intense relief decoration. It has the most valuable and remarkable icons of the temple with rich decorations which were gifts to the church by wealthy residents of Hydra and the captains of the battleships.The overall decoration of the temple is amazing: The efestios picture of "Faneromeni" is located in the old marble shrine of the Temple, icons of the iconostasis and many portable icons. Chandeliers and candles add glamour to the view of the Temple: there are four chandeliers. The most valuable and legendary is the exafotos (six light) chandelier located near the Oraia Pyli and reached Hydra from France or Spain. It must be emphasized that all the chandeliers of the Temple are not working with the stream but with candles or oil.Most of the treasures of the monastery exposed in the Ecclesiastical Museum, which operates within the area of the monastery.You are more than welcome, so long as you are dressed appropriately, to walk within the confines of the cloisters and enter the Cathedral Church itself. Taking photographs or filming is not allowed without the express permission of the Bishop.The Cathedral, due to the fact that is designated as a Monastery, is only used for services, baptisms and funerals. Marriages cannot take place in a Monastery.
The End
So, dear traveller, dear friend, at this point, our walk reaches its end. If the walks within the harbour and wider town area, seemed to you intriguing, those into the island’s verdant countryside will not disappoint even the most seasoned explorers. With one of the most intricate and complex trail systems throughout the Greek isles, you could spend months before traversing them all. Hidden valleys, old goat farms, centuries-old monasteries and secret beaches are just some of what walks on Hydra have to offer. Explore it!Thanks for joining me on this walk in a different era. We hope that you enjoyed it. If you are doing more sightseeing in Greece, we also have audio tours for the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, the Athens Old Town and Monastiraki flea market & Kerameikos. Or, visit our website at www.keytours.gr for a live guided tour! Antio!
