8 Best Sights in Mytilini, The Northern Aegean Islands

The enormous five-domed post-Baroque church of Agios Therapon, completed in 1935, was designed by architect Argyris Adalis, an islander who studied under Ernst Ziller, the prolific architect of so many of the municipal buildings in Athens. The church is dedicated to St. Therapon, whose name means "healer," and it has been visited by many people who came to Lesvos to recuperate from illness. It has an ornate interior, a frescoed dome, and there is a Byzantine museum in the courtyard that is filled with religious icons.

The pine-covered headland between the bays of Mytilini town supports an ancient castle and fortress, with many intact walls that seem to protect the town even today. It was built by the Byzantines on the site of an ancient acropolis possibly dating to 600 BC; the remains of a temple to Apollo and sanctuary dedicated to Demeter have been unearthed. Destroyed during battles with the Romans, it was then repaired using available materials by Francesco Gattilusio of the powerful Genoese family—note the ancient carved marble crammed here and there between stones. Finally, it fell into the hands of the Ottomans, who expanded the castle and created new buildings including a madrasa (religious school) and Turkish hammams. Most intriguing, perhaps, is the temple at the center believed to be the original acropolis: it was first a sanctuary dedicated to Demeter, then repurposed as a church, then later as a mosque. Look above the gates for the two-headed eagle of the Palaiologos emperors, the horseshoe arms of the Gattilusio family, and Arabic inscriptions made by Ottoman Turks.

This vestige of ancient Mytilini is within a pine grove and easily accessed. One of the largest theaters in ancient Greece, it is from the Hellenistic period and seated an estimated audience of 10,000. Plutarch, in Pompeius, tells us that the Roman general admired it so much that he copied it for his theater in Rome. Though the marbles are gone, the shape, carved into the mountain, remains beautifully intact.

Superseding the previous Neoclassical mansion that housed the old museum, Mytilini's new archaeological museum contains the permanent collection "Lesvos from Hellenistic to Roman Times" featuring finds from prehistoric Thermi, enchanting mosaics from Hellenistic houses, gold funeral offerings, and reliefs of comic scenes from the 3rd-century Roman house of Menander, as well as temporary exhibits.

Stroll the main street, Ermou, which goes from the port on the north side of town to the port on the south side. Scruffy but characterful, Ouzo wholesalers rub shoulders with clothing boutiques. Walk past the fish market on the southern end, where men haul in their sardines, mullet, and octopus, and explore narrow lanes filled with grand old mansions in varying states of romantic ruin.

The home of Stratis Eleftheriadis, better known by his French name, Teriade, houses a luminous collection of French art, much of which appeared in his highly influential Paris publications Minotaure and Verve. Among the works on display are lithographs done for the publisher/collector/critic by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Rouault, Giacometti, and Miró. The house is set among the olive trees of Varia and is worth the detour; it is also home to the Museum of Theophilos.

Sitting amid olive groves this dusty pink museum houses a large number of the eponymous artist's naive, precise neo-Hellenic works, detailing the everyday life of local folk such as fishermen and farmers, and polytheistic fantasies of another age. Theophilos lived in poverty but painted airplanes and cities he had never seen. He painted in bakeries for bread, and in cafés for ouzo, and walked around in ancient dress. For a time, he lived inside a tree that can be seen in the hamlet of Karini.

These hot springs are just east of town on the Gulf of Gera and include both indoor and outdoor pools and tubs, a spa, and an outdoor café. There are delightfully warm waters that cascade from marble spouts to provide a soothing massage, but best of all, soakers can emerge from the tubs onto a beach for a refreshing dip in the waters of the gulf—perfect for those who have spent a sleepless night on an overnight ferry.