In the region as well as in the mountainous parts of Rodopi we can find 60% of the whole European flora flourishing here.
In the region of Xanthi the relief of the soil, is favorable for the creation of forests either in the sandy or in the semi-mountai-nous areas and even in the mountainous zones northwards in the region. At the low and intermediate altitude mountains, there occurs apple trees, nut trees oak trees, chestnut trees, slivers etc. At altitudes higher than 800-900 meters, there spread beautiful beech trees and a bit higher there flourish mixed beech, pine and red pine forests.
If the visitor chooses the journey Xanthi-Kallithea-Leivaditis, he will discover rich forest ecosystems, and by leaving the car in Leivaditis and by continuing the passage on foot he will enjoy the falls of Leivaditis. In the area there is the woodland of Chaintous, and there lies a very famous protected natural monument, with great aesthetic and ecologic value, the age of many trees in this particular forest overpasses the 200 years.
Another journey leads to the famous villages of the Pomacs where we can find the characteristic ecosystems of the central Rodopi.
The journey Xanthi-Dasochori-Radiostathmos leads through rough and harsh ways to the forest near the delta of the River Nestos. It is the famous “Megalo Dasos11 (Kotza Orman) that once was a shelter for wild animals. Nowadays, only a restricted area of 10.000 hectares is left; the visitor will surely note the magnificence of the remaining forest.
The region of Drama has a great inheritance of beautiful and various kinds of forests, located northwards, the so-called “mountainous arc”, nearby the Greek-Bulgarian frontier.
Fonias” gorge, Samothraki Photo Gallery
All kinds of forests are found here in the area. In the central Rodopi, the forests of spruce, with unique kinds of red spruce and birch (journey from Drama-Sidironero-Skaloti) as well as those of Fraktos, located at the north-eastern part of the region, we can find a virgin forest, one of the most important of its kind in Europe, covering an area of 11.000 hectares (from Drama-Paranesti). This forest was classified as a Special Protection Area (1980) due to its great ecologic, geographical phytologic and historical value. The landscape in the zone creates intense geologic forms that attach to it a characteristic roughness and harshness. On the Mount Falakro, located at the central-west part of the region (journey from Dram-Volakas-Ski station), the areas coved with forests are quite restricted but rich in plantation and species of flora and fauna. The perennial chestnut, oak and pine trees as well as the subalpine grasslands with rich herb vegetation are characteristic of the mount Menoikio (journey from Dram-Prosotsani-Charitomeni) and complete the forest map of the region.
In the region of Kavala there are forests sidelong the mount Paggaio. (journey from Kavala-Eleftheroupoli-Nikisiani), on the mountains of Lekani (Kavala- Platamonas-Lekani) but also at the southeastern part at the delta of Nestos. The mountains of Thassos are covered sidelong mostly with pines, and oak-trees: but there is also a great variety of wild flora. It is interesting to make a tour by car on the island, because it is really important to visit the mountainous villages in order to understand better the forest wealth of the island.
