The Falakro villages, spread across the slopes of a 2,232-metre mountain, pair stone houses and old customs with rivers, lakes and forest.
Mount Falakro ranks among the most beautiful mountains in Greece, rising above Drama. Its slopes hold abandoned settlements, marble quarries and alpine meadows full of wild orchids, crocuses, thyme and primroses.
Pine, oak, chestnut and beech cover its forested sides. Rare butterflies live here, while wild horses graze freely higher up.
You can start from Prosotsani, Petrousa or the city of Drama. Still, it pays to stay in the Falakro villages perched on the slopes rather than those at the foot.
Volakas, a base for the Falakro villages
Among the Falakro villages, Volakas makes the best base for a tour of the mountain. Built at 830 metres, it greets visitors with pigs, hens, cows and horses near its entrance.
Don’t expect a picture-postcard village like Papingo. Instead, this is an authentic farming community, with stone houses, lanes and marble quarries just outside.
On its shady, slightly raised square stands the old church of Profitis Ilias, a timber-roofed basilica from 1841. Since a new church went up next door, it rarely opens, so ask the priest to let you in.
At Epiphany, Volakas comes alive with the Arapides custom, when men blacken their faces and wear bells and animal skins. It revives an old Dionysian ritual.
Later, at the feast of the Holy Spirit, riders and walkers carry the Holy Trinity icon up to the chapel of Agios Pnevma. A feast on the mountain follows, and a summer music festival also keeps Volakas lively.
Riverside calm around Potamoi
The Falakro ski centre lies 15 kilometres from Volakas. On the north side, about 17 kilometres away, Potamoi sits beside the Nestos River with views of the snowy summit.
Until the 19th century, Greeks and Turks lived here together, and two or three Ottoman-style houses survive. Below spreads a lake formed by the Nestos and the Despatis River behind the Thisavros dam.
First, though, head 3 kilometres north to the chapel of Agios Rafail, among towering plane trees, hornbeams, elms and alders. Here the Despatis meets the Maloustas stream.
Sit on the bench on the small wooden bridge and listen to the water. Then follow the trail to the Maloustas waterfall, another enchanting corner of the Falakro villages.
Pagoneri and the trails of Granitis
Heading west, you reach Pagoneri, once called Tseresovo, an amphitheatre-shaped listed traditional settlement. Like other Falakro villages, it works as a balcony facing the mountain.
Its raised church of the Presentation of the Theotokos also overlooks the square. Below it, a café serves as the information office and even knows who holds the key to a small folklore collection.
South-west of Volakas, at 760 metres, Granitis sits among beech, chestnut, fir, walnut and hazel trees. A stone fountain marks its centre, and its tavernas often sell local beans, because Drama is famous for them.
From the village church of the Taxiarches, a trail enters dense forest, stopping first at the chapel of the Panagia. In addition, Granitis offers about 30 kilometres of waymarked paths.
Each year it also hosts the Granitis Trail, with 21-kilometre and 9-kilometre routes plus a children’s course. No wonder walkers love this corner of the Falakro villages.
Fort Lisse and Lake Lefkogeia
Ten minutes west, the village of Ochyro guards Fort Lisse, the largest fort of the Metaxas Line in the area. Set inside a granite rock at 771 metres, its galleries hold living quarters, an infirmary and ammunition stores.
Straight north lies Kato Nevrokopi, the main village. Although it isn’t especially pretty, it has banks, shops and good tavernas. Stock up on beans and the famous potatoes of Nevrokopi here.
From there, a road leads to Lefkogeia, whose charming artificial lake is a highlight near the Falakro villages. Holding back two streams that once flooded the plateau created it, and it now covers about 90 hectares.
You can walk or cycle its 14-kilometre perimeter among pines, willows and poplars. Storks, cormorants, grey herons and moorhens also feed in its waters.
Taxiarches and the road back to Volakas
On the southern foothills, tiny Taxiarches is famous for the Holy Monastery of the Ascension of the Saviour. Elder Georgios Karslidis, the newest recognised saint of the Orthodox Church in Greece, founded it in 1930.
Most of the monastery went up gradually from 1970, but the original small church still stands at its heart. The sparse, green village suits anyone seeking quiet, like all the Falakro villages.
Further north, Dendrakia looks like a ghost village, with only a handful of residents. However, its lively cultural association joins nearby Livadero for chestnut-gathering walks.
Livadero, at 647 metres, suffered during the Bulgarian occupation and later the civil war. Before the war, it served as a summer resort for the people of Drama.
From Livadero, a road runs about 8 kilometres north to Lake Thisavros on the Nestos. Then cross the Papades bridge and climb to Sidironero, known for its mushrooms.
To return, the best route back to Volakas runs through Livadero and Taxiarches. You can also split your stay between Volakas or Granitis and Taxiarches to explore both sides of the Falakro villages.
Source: travel.gr
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