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Last summer was very constructive for the project: “Development of alternative ways of tourism by constructing a network of hiking footpaths in the Perfecture of Kozani (Voio)” which is funded by the Region of West Macedonia in the frame of PINDOS Project.
Apart from the new significant footpaths which are discovered in order to increase the number of routes from 10 to 13 that were foreseen in the contract and for which detailed construction studies have been carried out leading to a network of footpaths which reaches almost 200 km, a series of new discovers have been done in the area of West Voio.
The last two (2) years in the frame of the project have been discovered, the Hidden Step of the “Skotomeno Nero” waterfalls of 10 m height, the age long oak at Chrisavgi, the peculiar beech and the rare pines (called robola) among the high peaks of Profitis Ilias and Petritsi, the small gorge of Triada, the rocks with human forms at Odria, at Vithos, at Agia Sotira and Dilofo, as well as, the forgotten customs, the stories that are going to be presented in the documentary and in the Tourist Guide.
This summer in the frame of the final shots for the documentary, the University research team together with Argiris Pafilis, well known reporter for his interest and work at Voio’s area and Sakis Basilopoulos, perfect naturalist and past president of the Greek Hiking Team of Kozani, have ended up to new discovers in the area between Vithos and Avgerinos.
Between these two villages, at the Panagiopoula location, where a small church is existed, an age-long oak is standing close to this church and has drifted a part of it.
By following the forest road to Profitis Ilias, close to the Pramoritsa River, beautiful hidden waterfall is flowing at the Gagamita location. Additionally, by walking along with the river flow, behind the point at which the forest road passes through, on the concrete path, there is one more waterfall of 10m height. The location of the waterfall is at the Chrapa location, slightly before the ruins of Kalogritsa, the so-called old Vithos, which were also subject of research in the frames of Pindos Project.
This small route to the waterfalls, even if it is out of the scope of the Project, it has been signed by the Ecological Movement of Kozani and thus people are able to visit it.
Within the borders of Kato Vithos at Siutsi chestnut forest and Siupotistas chestnut forest, at the Skotomeno Nero area, two (2) enormous age-long chestnut trees were found, which belong to specific families of the village.
It is worth mentioning that a number of alpine tritons founded nearby a marsh close to the road that connects Vithos with Ag. Triada Monastery. Alpine triton is a kind of endemic animal of North Pindos which lives exclusively at the alpine lakes of Lingos, Smolikas and Grammos, and nowhere else in the world! Finally, during the works at the “Pentalofos – Dilofo” footpath, almost 1 km from Pentalofos, the local people assist in finding a small, beautiful cave 10 m in depth, above the Zapatista location, which has been included in the frames of the abovementioned route in order to be visited.
The construction of these forest routes comprises the reason for inventory and scientific study that is taken place in parallel in the frames of this specific project, not only for the place that the footpaths are located but also for the natural and cultural environment and the rich area of Voio. This, results to significant discoveries such as the above mentioned and makes us proud as Western Macedonians and as Greeks in these tough years.