Lemnos, Volcanic island in North Aegean region, Greece
Lemnos is an island in the North Aegean Sea between Mount Athos and the Turkish coast, with flat farmland to the east and hills to the west. The landscape shifts between fields, sandy coastlines and low ridges, while more than thirty villages dot the territory.
Excavations at Poliochni brought to light settlements from the early Bronze Age, while older Neolithic layers reach back to the 12th millennium before Christ. The island served in ancient times as a crossroads between the Greek and Anatolian world.
The island's name appears in ancient stories about the god of smithwork, whose workshop was believed to rest here. Today visitors find representations of these old myths in the museums and can trace worship remains at the archaeological park near Hephaistia.
Ferries from several mainland Greek ports call regularly, while an airport in the center offers direct connections. Access to most settlements and coastlines is easiest with a rental car or motorbike.
Near the ancient city of Hephaistia, a special earth was dug up once a year until the 19th century, credited with healing properties against snake venom. The extraction was accompanied by rituals and brought pilgrims from wide parts of the Aegean to the island.
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