Castle of Oria

One of the many important antiquities on the island is the Byzantine Castle of Oria (also called Katakefalo) in the northwestern part of Kythnos. Today it stands half-collapsed on the inaccessible rock, forgotten by time. We can reach it, as we explain elsewhere in more detail, by walking up a short path (1 kilometer, 15 minutes). The beginning of the path is about 3.5 kilometers from Loutra (on a paved road and a moderate to bad dirt road). The castle area was the capital of the island during Byzantine times and under Frankish rule. There are traces of habitation from prehistoric times as well, but the main period of habitation began with the abandonment of the previous capital, Vryokastro, around the 7th century AD. The well-preserved church of Saint (Agia) Eleousa, the main church of the castle, stands out inside the castle walls, while the church of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) farther west has only survived in ruins.