Nature in Greece | Mountains, lakes, forests, fauna and flora
Greek mountain oregano
Greek: ρίγανη Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (Greek oregano) is related to the herb marjoram, oregano also being known as wild marjoram. It is a perennial, although it is grown as an annual in colder climates, as it often does not survive the winter months. It…
Melissa officinalis
Greek: μελισσόχορτο Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), also known as balm or balm mint and not to be confused with bee balm (which is genus Monarda), is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to center-southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. It is…
Rose hips
Greek: άγρια τριαντάφυλλα Among the most sought after forest fruit, such as blackberries, cornus mas and wild strawberries, that the forests of the National Park of Vikos-Aoos produce are the rose hips which abound in the area of Zagori. Rose hips are particularly high…
Fall mushrooms
The National Parks of Pindus and Vikos-Aoos in North-Western Greece attract a lot of visitors every year that come to the area in search of fungi aka mushrooms. Every summer and fall, when the climate is ideal with small variations of temperature between day and…
Snow rackets
Snowshoeing in the snow white treks of the National Park of Valia Calda & Vikos-Aoos in winter Greece. Get to know the other side of Greece with the assured guidance of the certified trek guide Manolis Diamantopoulos for a unique experience. A snow racket…
Pindus National Park
Pindus National Park (Greek: Εθνικός Δρυμός Πίνδου Ethnikós Drymós Píndou), also known as Valia-Kalda, is a national park in mainland Greece, situated in an isolated mountainous area at the periphery of West Macedonia and Epirus, in the northeastern part of the Pindus mountain range….
Vikos Gorge
The Vikos Gorge (Greek: Φαράγγι του Βίκου) is a gorge in the Pindus Mountains of northern Greece. It lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymfi, with a length of about 20 km, depth ranging from 450 m to 1600 m and width from…
Forest fruit
The forests of the National Park of Vikos-Aoos produce a vast variety of fruit throughout the whole year. Some are mentioned below but are only a small part of the richness of the land. Crabapples (Greek: άγρια μήλα) Apple trees are typically 4–12 m…
Vikos–Aoos National Park
The Vikos–Aoös National Park (Greek: Εθνικός Δρυμός Βίκου–Αώου Ethnikós Drymós Víkou–Aóou) is a national park in the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece. The park, founded in 1973, is one of ten national parks in mainland Greece and is located 30 kilometres (19 mi)…
Mushrooms and religion
ROBERT GRAVES: MUSHROOMS AND RELIGION The profound importance of mushrooms in primitive religion had remained undetected until some twenty years ago, when Mr. R. Gordon Wasson, an American banker, and his Russian-born wife Valentina first called attention to it. The new science of ethnomycology,…
