GREEK PATHS OF CULTURE

Degree of difficulty:  very easy (1/4)

Starting at the Forest Village, we walk six hundred meters east along a path that crosses a coniferous forest of black pines and forestry pines. Wild roses and brambles are tangled together in the forest clearings, and the landscape is “decorated” with spring crocuses. The path arrives at a crossroads with a forest road and goes straight ahead across the road and coninues into a beech forest. After this, we walk on the old path that leads us to the abandoned military watchtower at Chaintou. Along the way, impressive beech trees cover the slopes and shade the path with their rich foliage. The last section of the path meets a narrow dirt road that leads to the watchtower and to the north we can see the peak of Chaintou (Drymou). The path to the peak continues from the kiosk and after climbing for approximately 600m it reaches the watchtower. The stones of the abandoned building bear witness to the difficult years that this border area has been through. The natural landscape is amazing! The wild Rodopi mountain range is covered in dense vegetation and dominates the area with its deep, inaccessible ravines and gentle ridges. To the north, towards the Greek-Bulgarian border, the peaks of Mavri Petra, Gyftokastro and Therma can be seen. During the Cold War, the watchful eyes of guards were focused on Rodopi’s ridges, but today the mountains beckon eager hillwalkers into their world of adventure.

Points of interest
Conifer and beech forest, Panoramic view of Rodopi from the peak of Chaintou