Karlovasi

Karlovasi is Samos’s second largest town, with about 5,000 inhabitants, and is considered the island’s commercial center. It has a large port, many state services, and a noteworthy market. It is made up of the Old, New, and Middle Karlovasi, as well as the Port and Ormos quarters. The Old Town, particularly picturesque, is built on verdant hills crowned by the Holy Trinity Monastery. Commercial activity is concentrated in New Karlovasi, while Middle Karlovasi stands out for its wonderful traditional island architecture. Thanks to the availability of raw materials for tanning, many tanneries once developed here, becoming a major source of wealth for the island. Most closed during World War II and the Civil War, and the last ceased operation later due to the use of chemical materials. Today, visitors can see the abandoned tanneries in the Tabakika district. The Karlovasi area has been inhabited since antiquity, as evidenced by ancient Greek and Byzantine finds. Today, the picturesque lanes of the three quarters with their beautiful houses, the museums, and the imposing churches alternate with terraced fields and dense pine forests. Karlovasi hosts the School of Sciences of the University of the Aegean, based in the historic Commercial School.