The mountain village of Anavryti is at an altitude of 800 metres, on the eastern slopes of Taygetos, 14 kilometres southwest of Sparta. The village's name derives from "anavryo", which means gush. In antiquity, near Anavryti, there was a sanctuary of goddess Dimitra.
From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the village saw particular development due to tanning, weaving, crafts and waxing. The old stone houses, which are now being reconstructed, had small craftmanship businesses incorporated. The village women made woven products using the looms like slippers, wool carpets and more. There was also a lot of development in the construction of "tsantilas" in the village, that is, the processing of threads and the manufacture of special cloths for the olive oil mills. The procedure took place in a large cave, where they hung the wool they received from the animals to protect it from the weather. Next to the cave, you can still visit the small church of Ypapanti, which the locals built in order to have the Virgin Mary’s protection and blessing.
Anavryti had an intense intellectual and commercial life until 1940 when the war broke out. Then, gradually, artisans began to move to Sparta. It is noteworthy that in 1830, while Sparta had 1500 inhabitants, Anavryti had 3500 inhabitants.
At Anavryti, the visitor can visit the Church of St. Nicholas - the village's parish church with its tall belfry. Inside, the iconostasis and the old murals stand out. The church celebrates on December 6th. There are also many Byzantine and Post-Byzantine churches around the village, and the school houses the Botanical and Geological Museum with numerous plants and rocks taken from Taygetos. Within two kilometres, the visitor can find the Faneromeni Monastery, which used to have eighteen monks and now operates with only one.
For hiking enthusiasts, many paths to the mountain start at Anavryti. Finally, at Anravryti, a 13km mountain race called "Vrisseada" launches in September every year.
