Sarantapihos

38°01'38"N 022°22'20"E

runway: unk - ...x..m - unk (CLOSED)

Sarantapihos airfield was an airfield 120 kilomeers west of Athens.
The airfield was built in the early 1930s and opened in July 1935. It was built on a plateau overlooking the village of Sarantapihos at an altitude of 1315meters. The airfield primarily served the guests, seminars and conferences at Hotel "Anagennisis." The very luxurious hotel served as the St. Moritz of Greece. It attracted very wealthy guests in rented aeroplanes from Greece, England, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Egypt. But it also attracted rulers, like King Farouk of Egypt for instance.


An aircraft in Sarantapicho. Right, the pilot of the aircraft (derveni.eu).


Aircraft always attracted crowds to the airfield (derveni.eu).

In 1941 the airfield was destroyed by invading Italian forces. In order to prevent landings of aircraft they dug grooves over the runway. Over the years those eroded and filled with fir and pine trees. During and after the war the empty hotel and airfield were plundered. An attempt was made to reopen the airfield, but the plan met with local opposition. The once great hotel is now a ruin.


Map depicting Sarantapicho village and the site of 30's mountain airstrip (Aerodhromia) (Kyprianos Biris, on HellasGA.com, used with permission).


Sarantapicho village and the site of 30's mountain airstrip in 2008 (Kyprianos Biris, used with permission).