Polichnitos

Polichnitos lies at the eastern end of the Gulf of Kalloni, 46 km from Mytilene. Its name comes from “polla ichni,” meaning “many traces,” referring to the many small settlements that once dotted the Lesvos coast. Here you will find neoclassical mansions, old shops and traditional houses with Western-style features and neoclassical motifs as well as structural forms from the East. The streets are paved. Among the most noteworthy buildings are the church’s olive press on the village square, with its characteristic chimney and storks’ nest—now transformed into the “Polycentre” cultural venue. Impressive buildings include the Primary School, the Courthouse, the old café, the mosque and the church of Saint George, an example of a Lesvian three-aisled basilica of 1892. The village has been designated a protected settlement area.