Krya Springs

At the point where the Erkyna river emerges from a gorge at the edge of Livadeia, cold water comes out of the rock in a series of springs that have been the town's water and its social space for centuries. The area is laid out with stone channels, small bridges, waterwheels and a run of cafes under enormous plane trees, and the water stays cold enough to be uncomfortable in midsummer. In antiquity these were the springs of Lethe and Mnemosyne, forgetfulness and memory, which those consulting the oracle of Trophonios drank from before descending into a chasm above; niches cut into the gorge wall above the springs are associated with that cult. A path leads up the gorge under the Catalan castle on the ridge.

What you actually see

• The springs - cold water emerging directly from the rock face.
• The plane tree cafes - terraces and channels along the water.
• The rock-cut niches - ancient carved recesses above the gorge.
• The castle above - the fourteenth-century fortress on the ridge.

When to go

Late spring through autumn, when the cafes are open and the shade is welcome; the water is at its fullest in spring. Weekends bring local families and the area gets busy.

Honest expectations

This is a town park with commerce attached, not a wild place; the cafes dominate and can be loud. Livadeia itself is an ordinary provincial town. The archaeological interest is mostly invisible without background.

Nearby

Orchomenos and its Mycenaean tomb are east; Delphi and Osios Loukas lie west and south.