This particular route in the capital of Samos, the Wine Making facilities, and the Wine Museum in Malagari, as well as in the traditional hamlet of Ano Vathy, is essentially a journey through the history of Samos wine, and shows how Samos wine is connected to all the historical, cultural, social, and economic periods of the capital of Samos and the port of Vathy. For the most part the route can be carried out on foot, and this includes the nearby points of interest. Visitors can use a means of transportation to travel to Malagari and the Wine Museum, as well as for their visit to the traditional hamlet of Ano Vathy, with its noteworthy architectural structure and small alleyways, as well as its enchanting view of the natural bay of Vathy.
Starting at the old port of Vathy and the stone Customs building located beside the Samos Coast Guard, visitors can start their tour of the historic Samos wine route. Just 850 metres from there, on the seafront avenue of Samos, is the neoclassical building of the Public Central Library. This is where historical documents and books with references to Samos wine have always been kept. From the Library, heading to the Pythagoras central square (the square with the lion, as the locals call it), one can see the building that used to house the German Consulate, and the first and ground floors of a building operating as a café on the right hand side of the square used to house the first offices of the Cooperative of Samos.
Wine Route in the capital of Samos-Malagari-Samos Wine Museum-Traditional Hamlet of Ano Vathy
Heading to the building of the Regional Directorate of Samos (via Paschali and Svoronou streets) 300 metres away, is the only polygonal building in Samos, which houses the State General Archive (the old Samos Prison building). Here are stored important documents from the entirety of the wine history and impact of Samos wine on the social, cultural, and economic life of Samos.
About 2.5 kilometres away (by car) and heading towards the north-western exit of the city, towards the Malagari area, the location of the modern passenger port of Samos, visitors will find the facilities of the Wine Making Cooperative of Samos, the old tavernes (wine storing buildings), loading and unloading points in the port, and Samos Wine Museum, which is of great historical importance.
From there, by car, about 2 kilometres away, visitors will arrive at the traditional hamlet of Ano Vathy. After parking in the Potamaki area, one can tour the narrow alleys of the hamlet, see the renovated façades of the picturesque homes, and arrive at the area of the Primary School of Ano Vathy, which is also the location of the old building of the Wine Making Cooperative of Ano Vathy. Also worth visiting in the hamlet are the theatre of Ai Giannakis, with the enchanting amphitheatrical view of the port, and one of the many traditional cafés, for a brief rest.
UWC Samos Winery, Malagari
Just before the roundabout that leads to the passenger port in Malagari, on the left side of the coastal avenue of Samos, the privately owned winemaking facilities of the Cooperative are located.
It is a series of successive buildings where Samian wine is received, processed, vinified, bottled, aged, stored and marketed.
Tavernes in the Commercial Port of Malagari, Samos
Heading to the north-east of the capital, towards the Malagari area, where the current modern passenger port is in operation, visitors will find the old tavernes.
The tavernes were large stone wine warehouses built in the 19th century for wine storage and trade.
They are large buildings with tiled roofs, approximately 6 metres tall, that are well preserved. The windows on the higher levels ensured the right conditions for the better preservation of Samos wine. These buildings mainly belonged to wine merchants, but after the establishment of the United Wine Agricultural Cooperative, they passed into its ownership.
Some of them were turned into wine storage and loading/unloading spaces, the agricultural goods store, and the Samos Wine Museum.
Mavrogeneios School, Malagari
The Mavrogeneios Vocational School was the vocational training school established in Malagari, Samos, in 1902. It was named after Alexandros Mavrogenis, the Prince of Samos at the time. This was a historic training school, adjacent to the agricultural goods store in Malagari.
Samos Wine Museum
The Samos Wine Museum is housed in an emblematic 19th century stone building which used to operate as a wine warehouse, before the establishment of the United Wine Agricultural Cooperative, and later as a cooperage. It is located at the intersection leading to the Malagari port.
The building was turned into the Museum in 2005 and has since housed important exhibits that define Samos wine: vineyards with endemic vines that grow in ventilated showcases, lenos (stone grape stomping vats) and ypolenia (collection tanks), vine-growing, wine making, and ageing tools and vessels, as well as enormous wooden tanks from the previous century.
Loading Location for Wine headed to France – Malagari area
The port of Malagari in Samos is located in the western inlet of the large north-eastern natural bay of Vathy. It is a commercial port, as that is where ships connecting Samos to mainland Greece and freighters now dock. The old port, which started being formed during the period of the Principality with embankments on the eastern part of the bay, has been used for the last decade only for connections to Turkey.
Just before the current Malagari port, opposite the Wine Making Facilities of the Cooperative, is where the ships transporting Samos wine to the French market would drop anchor, as there was no way for them to dock. In the past, the transportation of Samos wine took place using wooden barrels that were either transported to the ships on boats, or pumped directly into the ships in bulk from the Cooperative tanks, using special pipes.
The Samos Public Park (Principality Park)
Works for the creation of the Samos Public Park (Principality Park) commenced in 1898 and it has been a place to meet, talk, and rest for the community of Samos ever since. During the era of the Principality, the park had a cosmopolitan character with trees and plants from various countries, as well as a zoo. At its centre was the church of Saint Spyridon, which was later moved to where it is today, opposite the City Hall.
Ano Vathy Cooperative
From the Samos coastal avenue, by car, about 2 kilometres away, visitors will arrive via Neapoleos Street, at the traditional hamlet of Ano Vathy. After parking in the Potamaki area, one can tour the narrow alleys of the hamlet, see the renovated façades of the picturesque homes, an arrive at the area of the Primary School of Ano Vathy, which is also the location of the old building of the Wine Making Cooperative of Ano Vathy. The building housed the offices of the Cooperative until 2016, when it was abandoned. It has been sold and is privately owned.
Parliament of the Samiots (current City Hall)
The building of the Parliament of the Samiots, which currently houses the City Hall of East Samos, was built during the 1898-1901 period. The initial building was based on designs by Principality engineer Efstathiadis, prepared in 1898 and validated by Prince Stefanos Mousouros. It is an excellent example of 19th century neoclassical architecture, with a strong influence from leading architect Ernst Ziller. The building was used as the Parliament and as a meeting place for the General Assembly until 1912-1914. After the Unification of Samos with Greece, the Parliament started being used as a City Hall, as is the case to this day, while for a certain period the lower offices housed the Records. Historic decisions relating to the production, vinification, and trade of Samos wine have been made in this building.
Paschaleio Archaeological Museum, Samos
This is the old building of the Archaeological Museum of Samos, which was called ‘Paschaleion Archeofylakeion’. It was built in 1912 and hosts important finds from the excavations at Heraion, Samos, such as statues, vessels, bronze, ivory, and wood offerings, etc.), as well as clay pots and vessels, kraters, and amphorae that have to do with the use, storage, and transportation of Samos wine.
Archaeological Museum Vatheos, Samos
The Archaeological Museum of Samos is located at the centre of the city, adjacent to City Hall, and it is housed in two buildings, the ‘Paschaleio’ (old Museum) and the modern museum. It features collections from all eras, but mainly from the Archaic Period. It houses the Museum’s sculptures, with important examples of the Archaic Period. One of the most important exhibits is the renowned Kouros of Samos, an exceptional statue, approximately 5.5 metres tall, discovered in the archaeological dig at the Heraion.
At the Archaeological Museum of Samos you can see important finds relating to Samos wine over the centuries, such as various vessels and amphorae, reliefs depicting symposia, vessel fragments with depictions related to vines, and others.
General State Archive, Samos
The General State Archive is housed near the building of the Regional Directorate of Samos. Visitors can get there via Paschali Street and Svoronou Street. It is the only polygonal building on Samos, with an internal courtyard, that used to operate as the Samos Prison building. It is the “evolution” of the Samos Public Archive established in 1882.
Old cooperative offices, Pythagoras Square, Samos
After the establishment of the UWC of Samos in 1934, the space of the first floor of the neoclassical building on Pythagoras Square with an entrance on the side of the interior road (Kanari Street) was rented. It operated as the Offices of the UWC for administrative work until the early 1990s, when the offices were moved to the privately owned building of the Cooperative in the area of Malagari. Currently, the space is used for the Municipal Council meetings of the Municipality of East Samos.
Consulate of Germany, Pythagoras Square, Samos
The German-speaking Consulate in Samos was established in the mid 1700s as the ‘Consulate of the German Empire’ and initially had a German Consul. It continued to operate until World War II, when it suspended operations until the 1960s. It then resumed operations, mainly focusing on commerce related to the export of Samos wine. It was housed in a building on Pythagoras Square and the consuls were German-speaking Samiots.
Samos Library, Samos
The Public Central Historical Library of Samos used to be the mansion of rich lumber merchant Miltiadis Georgiou (built in 1893), who bequeathed it in his will to the Municipality of Samos for the creation of a library. The library collection includes books, publications, and documents (manuscripts, newspapers and journals, Government Gazette issues) relating to Samos wine, its production, vinification, and trade.
Samos Customs
In the area of the old port of Vathy, beside the Samos Coast Guard, is the stone Customs building, where visitors can start their tour of the historical journey of Samos wine, as this is where, even during the era of the Principality of Samos (from the mid-19th century) all goods were imported and exported. After the Unification of Samos with Greece, customs unification was achieved, as the need to do away with export duties to Greece was highlighted, aiming to make Samos products, mainly wine, competitive.
