PAVLIANI . . . Pavliani is a mountain village in central Greece in the regional unit of Fthiotida. Geography and history Pavliani is located on the south-western border of the former prefecture with the Fokida regional unit in a dense fir forest and is now a fast-growing tourist destination. The village is located on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Oiti at an altitude of 1,040 metres. It is one of the most mountainous settlements of Fthiotida and the starting point for excursions to the surrounding mountains as well as for visits to the National Park of Oiti, the "Fire of Hercules", the gorge of Asopos and the "Castle of Kouvelos". One view of the village's name is that it owes its name to the first inhabitants, who were the first to believe in the teachings of the Apostle Paul. However, it is more likely that it goes back to a Slavic name. Originally, the village was built on a low-lying area, approximately where the village of Oiti is today. As a settlement, it is officially mentioned since the time of the Turkish occupation and after the liberation in 1835 as the seat of the then Rodontia (Oiti) municipality. It was the seat of the eponymous municipality from 1912 with the Government Gazette 261A - 31/08/1912 and until 31 December 2010, when it was abolished with the implementation of the Kallikrates programme and joined the extended municipality of Lamiaeon and together with the neighbouring Nea Pavliani form the local community of Pavliani. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has 498 inhabitants and the settlement 367, compared to 574 and 438 respectively in 2001.         Church in Pavliani                                                       Pavliani Recreation Park                                                                      Recreation Park