Open Air Water-Power Museum

Top choice in Peloponnese


This excellent little museum is an entertaining romp through the region’s pre-industrial past. It occupies a complex 1.6km south of town (signposted), where a spring-fed stream once supplied power for a succession of mills spread down the hillside. The lush grounds are alive with rushing water powering a fully operational fulling mill, flour mill and gunpowder mill (the last having provided ammunition during the Greek War of Independence). The tannery is equally fascinating, and videos and demonstrations bring the often complex procedures alive.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Peloponnese attractions

1. Filosofou Monasteries

1.82 MILES

This pair of monasteries is perched on the west side of the Lousios Gorge. The 'new' monastery dates from the 17th century and its atmospheric, incense…

2. Prodromos Monastery

2.58 MILES

This monastery clings to the cliff face in memorable fashion. The monastery church is adorned with frescoes, while up the hill where the road ends is a…

3. Folk Art Museum

2.83 MILES

This slightly neglected museum in an impressive historic building is on the up again and is worth popping into for its substantial collection of…

4. Nikolopoulos Andritsena Library

10.24 MILES

In 1838 Konstantinos Nikopoulos, a composer, bibliophile and member of the movement looking to liberate Greece from the Turks, donated 4000 rare books to…

5. Temple of Epicurean Apollo

13.31 MILES

Situated on a wild, isolated spot overlooking rugged mountains and hills, this World Heritage–listed temple is one of Greece’s most atmospheric…

6. Ancient Olympia

23.27 MILES

This is where the Olympic Games took place every four years for over 1100 years, until their abolition by Emperor Theodosius I in AD 393. The Olympic…

7. Olympia Archaeological Museum

23.29 MILES

This superb museum features finds from the adjacent archaeological site of Olympia. Visiting it in conjunction with the ruins helps to put the ancient…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "greece/dimitsana/attractions/open-air-water-power-museum/a/poi-sig/1386588/1316574",
      "destination": "Peloponnese",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Greece",
      "region": "Peloponnese",
      "position": "superzone"
    }