Kalavria

Kalavria (Greek: Καλαβρία) is a geographical toponym used in Greece to designate several places in the western Peloponnese. The best-known reference is to the inland hinterland around the town of Kalavryta, in the regional unit of Achaea, and to the surrounding mountainous areas that form the Kalavria highlands. The term is used in historical and local usage to denote this broader rural and upland district, distinct from the coastal zones along the Gulf of Patras.

Geography: The Kalavria area is characterized by rugged terrain, forested slopes, and the Vouraikos Gorge, which lies to the west of Kalavryta. The region includes a number of villages and agricultural settlements that rely on forestry and hillside farming.

History: The Kalavria area has a long history dating to antiquity as part of the Achaean territories and later the Achaean League. In modern history, Kalavryta is known for the 1943 Massacre of Kalavryta during World War II, an event associated with the town and its hinterland.

Today: Kalavria is used mainly in cultural, historical, and tourism contexts to refer to this highland region. It is not an independent administrative unit; rather, it overlaps with the Kalavryta municipality and surrounding areas within the regional units of Achaea and West Greece.

See also: Kalavryta, Vouraikos Gorge.