Nestos-Rodopi Trail
Nestos-Rodopi Trail
An overview
Nestos Gorge
Nestos-Rodopi Trail route is a long hike in the area of Nestos Gorge and the heart of Central Rodopi mountain chain. The route follows the old paths of the region, which connected the villages and the other major destinations. The route is 66 km long and has two official and equivalent starting points, the city of Xanthi and the end of the road access to Nestos Gorge, close to Galani village. At the other end of the route lies Erymanthos Forest Village (or Chaidou), a significant landmark of the mountain zone. The intermediate stops are at the abandoned village of Kromniko, the small town of Stavroupoli, Kato Karyofyto village and Livaditis village.
The 6 sections Nestos-Rodopi Trails
| Section | Name | Start | Destination | Length (km) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xanthi-Kromniko | Xanthi | Kromniko | 18.8 | 8h |
| 2 | Galani-Kromniko (Nestos Straits) | Galani | Kromniko | 9.9 | 4h30 |
| 3 | Kromniko-Stavroupoli | Kromniko | Stavroupoli | 10.7 | 4h30 |
| 4 | Stavroupoli-Kato Karyofyto | Stavroupoli | Kato Karyofyto | 11.7 | 5h |
| 5 | Kato Karyofyto-Livaditis | Kato Karyofyto | Livaditis | 9.8 | 4h30 |
| 6 | Livaditis-Erymanthos Forest Village | Livaditis | Erymanthos Forest Village | 9.1 | 4h |
Nestos-Rodopi Trail route was designed by ELLINIKI ETAIRIA - Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, in the framework of Greek Paths of Culture project. The study and field survey of the route was carried out by AnaDigit cartographic company. AnaDigit also undertook the elaboration of the evaluation study for the certification of the route by the European Ramblers' Association (ERA) in the framework of Leading Quality Trails-Best of Europe brand. After thorough quality checks, which were technically supported by AnaDigit, Nestos-Rodopi Trail was awarded with the relevant quality certification in June 8, 2019.
Main Information Board
The route is signposted according the standards of the European Ramblers' Association, in the framework of Leading Quality Trails-Best of Europe certification.
Text and photos by T. Adamakopoulos
A hiking guide of topoguide app series, dedicated to Nestos-Rodopi area, is under development. However, all trails of the area are already included in the hiking application topoguide Greece, available for both Android and iOS (iPhone και iPad) devices.
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