On April 23, this year, the village of Agios Georgios in Preveza comes alive in honor of its patron saint, Saint George—a celebration rooted as much in faith as in folklore. Nestled in the Epirus countryside along the eastern bank of the Louros River, just south of a man-made dam, the village is both a place of natural beauty and a repository of layered history.

Agios Georgios occupies a site of enduring importance. In antiquity, it was the starting point of the Roman aqueduct that supplied the ancient city of Nicopolis, an ambitious engineering project whose remnants still hint at the technical sophistication of the time. Today, the springs that rise here continue to sustain the wider region, providing water to the prefectures of Preveza, Arta, and Lefkada.

Yet beyond its historical footprint, the village is best known for a legend that has shaped its identity across generations. Opposite the settlement, a dramatic opening in the rock face—referred to locally as the “dragon’s hole”—anchors a tale of fear, sacrifice, and eventual salvation.

According to local tradition, the springs once emerged from a shadowy cave on the very spot where the church of Saint George now stands. There, villagers believed, dwelled a fearsome dragon who controlled the waters. To grant access to this vital resource, the creature demanded an annual offering: the most beautiful young woman in the village, taken on the saint’s feast day.

Disguised as a charming youth, the dragon would mingle with the celebrants before abducting his chosen victim and retreating to his lair. The festival would dissolve into grief, and fear would grip the community.

The turning point came, the story goes, when Saint George appeared in the dreams of many villagers, urging them to resume their celebrations without fear. On Easter Monday, they did just that. When the dragon returned, the saint himself intervened—arriving on horseback in a flash of light and striking the beast with his spear. As it fled in the form of a winged serpent, it tore through the hillside before collapsing miles away.

In gratitude, the villagers built a church over the cave and dedicated their community to Saint George. Today, their annual festival keeps both faith and legend alive, drawing crowds who gather to celebrate a story where myth and landscape remain inseparably intertwined.