Chora

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Chora, the capital of Serifos, is built amphitheatrically on the rocky hill of Livadi bay at an altitude of about 200 meters and is considered as one of the most beautiful capitals in Cyclades. A predominantly medieval fortified settlement, which was built to protect its inhabitants from pirate raids. It is only 5 km away from Livadi, the port of the island and is divided into two neighborhoods, Pano Chora and Kato Chora.

The construction of both neighborhoods is very dense and there are not a lot of common areas, except for three squares, the Town Hall square in Pano Chora, the square of Evangelistrias in Kato Chora and the square of Mylos, whose name comes from the traditional windmills that exist there. Unfortunately, only the three windmills have been restored and nowadays are used as residences.

From the medieval settlement are preserved until today the remains of the walls of the Venetian castle, which was built by the Mikeli family in 1434 AC, and two Loggias (entrances), in one of which there is a coat of arms from the Venetian period. At the top of the hill dominates the church of Agios Konstantinos, from where visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the stunning view, seeing the Aegean Sea and the neighbor islands (Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, etc.).

Below you will meet more temples, such as St. Barbara, former patron saint of the island, Christ, and St. John the Theologian, which is probably built on the ruins of the ancient temple of the goddess Athena. The Town Hall is housed in an exceptional neoclassical building erected in 1904, designed by the famous architect Ernest Ziller and is one of the few neoclassical buildings of the island, while next to it dominates the church of Agios Athanasios.

In Pano Chora there is also the archeological museum, which houses findings of the classical, Hellenistic, as well as the Roman period, while in Kato Chora is the Hero of the Fallen, the open-air theater, where cultural events are taking place during the summer month and also the Folklore Museum of the island, where the visitor can admire objects of the traditional life of the island, but also samples of the mineral wealth of the land of Serifos and the three sights owned by the "Association of Serifs in Athens". In addition, in the square of Kato Chora is the imposing church of Evangelistria, while there are also two neoclassical buildings with tiled roofs that host the Primary School and were built in the mid-19th and at the beginning of 20th century.

Chora has neighborhoods that are connected to each other through a network of traditional, narrow alleys, where the visitor can easily get lost if he does not have a good sense of orientation. The square of the Town Hall and the square of the Mills is the heart of the night life, as there you can find cafes, traditional “rakadika”, taverns, restaurants, and bars to try traditional flavors and have fun.