eTourist

Tour of the National Park - Dadia Forest

Dadia in Evros, Greece

In the National Park there are hiking trails and marked paths of varying degrees of difficulty with the corresponding signage enabling visitors to wander through the beautiful landscapes and come close to the particular fauna of the area.
 
In particular, there are the following four (4) paths:
1. Orange path: It has low level of difficulty and starts from the information center to arrive at the watchtower of birds of prey.
2. Yellow path: It follows the path from the watchtower birds of prey to the information center. The journey takes 45 minutes and there is high level of difficulty
3. Red path: It is a path of medium level of difficulty, with a total duration of 2 hours. The visitor crosses the black pine forests through the red path and passes the ruins of the Byzantine fortress, ending at the top of Gibrena with an altitude of 520 meters where can enjoy panoramic views.
4. Blue Path: It is the returning path from the top of Gimbrena that crosses the other side of the forest following Diavolorevma. It is a path of medium level of difficulty and lasts 1.5 hours.
 
The marked paths are accessible all over the year. The days of the fire season are excluded (May 1 - October 31) where the Fire Risk Index is 3.4 or 5. The Fire Risk Index is updated daily for the following day and is available on the Civil Protection Service and Management Body's website.
 
Furthermore, in the park it is possible to follow the special road routes , (under strict traffic rules), either by bicycle or by car, as well as by the vehicle of the local eco tour guide.
The special road routes are the following:

• Route 1: Dadia- Watchtower of birds of prey – Lira – Lefkimi.
• Route 2: Dadia – Fossilled Forest of Lefkimi – Kitrinopetra – Dadia.
• Route 3: Dadia – Lefkimi – Kapsalo – Virini – Dadia.
• Route 4: Dadia – Kotronia – Sidiro – Giannouli – Soufli – Kornofolia – Μονή Dadia.
• Route 5: Dadia – Treis Vrises – Kotronia – Dadia.
• Route 6: Loutros – Pessani – Katratzides – Dadia.
• Route 7: Dadia - Giannouli -Soufli.

All of the above routes pass through the regional forest, traditional settlements, monuments and recreational areas and are an option for day trips close to nature. So far, these trips are organized with the help of the National Park Information and Information Center and some specialized travel agencies in the area. Many of the day trips are organized and planned by local cultural and nature-based hiking and mountaineering clubs.
Part of these routes is hard roads accessible only by 4x4 vehicles or bicycles. Visitors can choose to follow the following road routes either individually on their own vehicles or by using the vehicle of the Management Body, accompanied by staff, upon request.
In the National Park operates a traditional guesthouse that can serve a limited number of guests. There are hostels in Soufli, Tychero and Feres that can accommodate more guests.
A few meters away from the village of Lefkimi, there is a monument of nature of rare beauty which is the only one in Europe: the 40-yearls-old fossilized forest of Lefkimi- Filakto, whose fossils are scattered in a green forest.
Scientists estimate that the fossilled forest of Lefkimi-Filakto was created because of the volcanic activity that was occurring in the area. There is a small exhibition area with samples of fossil finds from the wider area, within the facilities of the Tourist Center in Tychero which is located at the entrance of the village, by the lake. Fossilized leaves of cinnamon, fern, coffee tree, rubber tree and ancestral vines are included in the findings of the Filakto petrified forest and are considered to be of great value due to their rarity both in Greece and in Europe.

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