On 13 December 1943, German troops separated the men and boys of Kalavryta from the women and children. The women and children were locked in the school, which was set on fire, and they escaped. The men and boys were shot on Kapi hill, and the town was burned. Sources differ on the number of dead in the town: some give more than 400, others close to 700. The Kalavryta Holocaust Museum is now in the rebuilt school building. It shows documents, photographs and the names of the victims. A large white cross stands on Kapi hill, and the cathedral clock is stopped at 14:34, the time remembered for the killings.

Agia Lavra monastery is about 4 kilometres from the town and dates from the 10th century. According to tradition, Bishop Germanos raised the flag of the 1821 revolt here. German troops burned the monastery in 1943, and it was rebuilt. Mega Spilaio is about 10 kilometres from the town. Its eight storeys are built against a cliff about 120 metres high, and monks live there.

Kalavryta stands on the slopes of Mount Chelmos. Much of the mountain, and the gorge below it, form the Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park, which was created in 2009. The area is also a UNESCO Global Geopark, which is a status for places with important geology. Fir and black pine forests cover large parts of the geopark, and there are oak forests too.

The Vouraikos Gorge runs north from the mountain to the coast near Diakopto. It is a protected Natura 2000 area. Its steep rock walls hold rare plants that are found only in Greece, and otters live along the river. A narrow section called the Portes, or the Gates, is one of the best-known places in the gorge. The rack railway line through the gorge is about 22 kilometres long and crosses the river on many bridges.

A ski centre operates on Mount Chelmos in winter, about 14 kilometres from the town. It lies between 1,700 and 2,340 metres and has 8 lifts and 13 slopes with a total length of about 20 kilometres. Snow conditions change from year to year, so check them before you go.

In the warmer months, walkers have several routes. The management body of the national park lists four routes around Kalavryta, between 17 and 63 kilometres long. The E4 route from the town to the ski centre is about 11 kilometres and climbs about 1,000 metres.

The best-known walk is through the Vouraikos Gorge. It follows the railway line from Kato Zachlorou, about 9 kilometres from Kalavryta, down to Diakopto on the coast. The walk is about 13 kilometres and takes 3.5 to 6 hours. The historic Odontotos rack railway uses the same line. Trains have been stopped more than once after rockfalls, so check whether the railway is running.