The picturesque village of Vassaras is located at the foothills of Agia Triada hill, 25 km northeast of Sparta. It is built at an altitude of 690 metres and has about 330 permanent residents. It borders Veria, which is also the resort of the Vassarians (Vassaras residents) during the summer months. A bit further east is the Monastery of Agioi Anargyroi, whose history is associated with both Vassaras and Veria.
The village's name comes, mainly, from the name of God Bacchus (Dionysus), who, according to mythology, was the god of wine. The area of Vassaras was verdant with vineyards and produced large quantities of wine. Initially, the village was called Bakharas. At the area of Zevgolatio, in the past, statues, parts of pottery, foundations of ancient houses and a bath have been found, which testify to the existence of a temple dedicated to the god Dionysus or Bacchus. Various indications prove that Zevgolatio was the centre of Vassaras.
The current village began to be built in the early 18th century, starting from the area around the church of Evangelistria. In fact, it is said that the first house built was the Nikoleteiko Pyrgaki. Today in Vassaras, along with the traditional houses, there is a small guest house. Just outside the village, in the Agios Vassilios chapel, visitors can see the bust of academic and philosopher Ioannis N. Theodorakopoulos (1900-1981), work of famous sculptor V. Falireas which the Stratigis family offered.
The Agios Georgios parish church, which is also the village's patron saint, was built in 1824, while in 1825, the church was burned down by Ibrahim. In 1830, a new dome was erected in the place of the previous one that had been completely destroyed in the fire. Visitors can see the small complex of three churches at the village entrance: Panagia Eleftherotria, Agia Irini, Agios Panteleimon, and Agios Nikolaos. Every year, hundreds of people from all over Greece come to worship these little churches. Equally important is the small church of Panagia in Vrachos (Rock), built, literally, inside the rock. During the years of the Ottoman rule, it served as a fortress of salvation for the village's inhabitants. It celebrates on the 23rd of August, where, after the Divine Liturgy, there is a feast that lasts until the morning hours. The church of Agia Triada dominates the hill of the village and, right next to it, the visitor can see the clock. Finally, at the entrance of Vassaras, the church of the Savior, which celebrates on August 6th, is also built.
In recent years, the mountain Festival "Earth and Freedom" has been organised at the village where various cultural events, such as concerts, discussions, workshops, and artistic events, occur during the summer months.
