Ano Syros

Syros is the one Cycladic island with a large Catholic population, a legacy of Venetian rule and later French protection, and Ano Syros is where that community lives: a medieval settlement spiralling up a conical hill, built from the thirteenth century, with stepped lanes too narrow for vehicles and houses stacked one on another. At the top stands the Catholic cathedral of Agios Georgios, and on a neighbouring shoulder the Capuchin monastery of Saint Jean, founded in 1635. The lanes hold small tavernas, a Markos Vamvakaris museum in the house where the rebetiko musician was born, and views over Ermoupoli and the harbour. The neighbouring hill, Vrontado, is the Orthodox quarter, and the two summits face each other.

History

Ano Syros, the medieval settlement of Syros, was built in the late Byzantine era or the early period of Latin rule, a densely built Cycladic town of narrow lanes on a circular, radial plan that looks like a fortified citadel. Its people are Catholic Greeks, a legacy of the long Latin rule of the island (Wikipedia, Ano Syros).

What you'll find

• Agios Georgios - the Catholic cathedral crowning the hill.
• The stepped lanes - a medieval spiral of streets with no car access.
• The Vamvakaris museum - the rebetiko musician's birthplace.
• The twin hills - Catholic and Orthodox quarters facing each other.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the climb; summer afternoons on the steps are hot with little shade. Evening gives the best view down over the neoclassical roofs of Ermoupoli.

What to expect

The ascent is genuinely steep, several hundred steps from the lower town, and there is no way to avoid stairs inside the quarter. Buses go partway but not to the top. Many of the small museums and churches keep short hours.

Nearby

Ermoupoli, with its Apollo theatre and Miaouli square, lies below; Galissas and Kini are on the west coast.

Key facts