Derveni (Δερβένι) is a coastal town in prefecture of Corinthia in the Peloponnesus, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality Evrostini. It is linked by the old, mostly coastal, national road and a new, thought secondary, highway to mainland Greece and the Western Peloponnese.
Its population stands at 1514 but rises dramatically during the holiday season and many of the houses and flats are second residencies to people living mostly in Athens (142 km) or Patras (73 km). Its nearest main town is Corinth (50 km). One of its main characteristics is that its coastal houses and flats are flanked by the old national road to the south and give directly onto the pebbled sea shore to the north. Due to its restricted parking facilities and the infrequent train service, it is not a stop-over town for passing traffic, or amenable to day trips.
Its name derives from its geographical location, squeezed between the mountains and the deep Corinthian Sea. Derven means narrow passage or path in Ottoman Turkish. It was founded early 19th century by inhabitants of the nearby village of Zacholi who exported and processed raisins. Its trading apogee came between 1923 - 1940 when hundres of workers processed the so called Corinth raisins that arrived by boat on its small port. The port no longer exists.
It is linked by rail to Athens and Patras.
|
||||||||