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A few kilometres north of Livadia lies the abandoned and fascinating
village of Mikro Chorio. As far as in the 1950s, Mikro Chorio was
like any Greek village: one went to the church on Sundays, old men sat
in cafes and children played in the alleys. But the water in the wells
dried up and the inhabitants abandoned their houses and moved to Megalo
Chorio or Livadia
Mikro
Chorio.
Before the Second World War, there lived 1,750 people in Mikro Chorio.
There were about 250 children, and three schools. In 1962 there lived
32 people here, in 1965 here were only 1 poor inhabitant left.
Today, the goats have taken over the village. They are everywhere.
The more than 200 houses that remain are in pretty good repair, only a
few are totally devastated. Almost all houses have no roof. The villagers
brought their roofs (wood was scarce even then) when they moved and used
them when they built their new houses.
The church has been renovated to its original repair and some
buildings have been renovated in recent years. Who knows, in the future
Mikro Chorio maybe inhabited again.
It is fascinating to wander around in the deserted village and fantasize
about how life once took form. How did it look here? Did people
sit at that old taverna? Was it a queue outside the church? Did
children play in the alleys on the hill? It's really a strange feeling
to walk around in a deserted village.
However, for a short period during high season, the village revive
thanks to Mikro Chorio Music Bar (see picture above). Since a few
years ago, two guys from the island runs this popular music-bar in one
of the old houses, on the terrace you can drink cocktails and gaze out
over the deserted village, the night black landscape and the starry sky.
Free shuttle bus to and from Mikro Chorio start out outside Eleni
Minimarket at the police station in Livadia.
Buses start running around 11 p.m. and runs until early morning.
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