Stypsi

Stypsi is a picturesque semi-mountainous village of northern Lesvos, built on the slopes of Mount Lepetymnos at about 400 meters altitude, just 10 km from Petra. Its name derives from alum, the mineral that abounded in the area and was used in tanning and dyeing. The village retains its traditional character, with stone houses, cobbled alleys, quaint cafés and tavernas. In summer, life unfolds on the streets and in the courtyards, with locals enjoying coffee or ouzo under the vines. Stypsi was the birthplace of notable figures such as the Macedonian fighter Germanos Karavangelis and Ecumenical Patriarch Benjamin. Among its sights are the churches of the Holy Trinity—a three-aisled cross-in-square basilica with a dome and a gilded wood-carved iconostasis from an earlier church—and the Dormition of the Theotokos, as well as the ruins of the medieval “Kastrelli,” which bear witness to the area’s past. Stypsi is also famed for its traditional weddings and for its great festival on 23 August, a celebration filled with music and dance.