GREEK PATHS OF CULTURE IN THRACE
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
“Nestos-Rodopi Trail” is a 70.6 km long hiking route starting from Xanthi, northern Greece. In 6 day sections it covers the straits of River Nestos
and part of the Rodopi mountain range, an area of rich natural beauty, history and culture. It was awarded the "LQT – Leading
Quality Trails" certification of the European Ramblers Association. In addition, a network of 4 trails in the greater area brings the total length of the project's route to over 100kms.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
GREEK PATHS OF CULTURE IN THRACE
An "ELLINIKI ETAIRIA, Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage" project
Footpaths were created over the centuries through the hard work and sense of beauty of our ancestors. They connected towns and villages, enabling the movement of goods and culture. Over the years, however, with the rise of new means of transport, most paths were abandoned – they became overgrown with vegetation or, as an easy solution for creating road networks, they were bulldozed and covered with asphalt.
ELLINIKI ETAIRIA has been campaigning since 1972 for the protection of the environment and our cultural heritage. The aim of the project "Greek Paths of Culture" is to give new life to several still surviving paths of particular natural beauty, historical and cultural importance. In the mountains of Thrace, northern Greece, history reaches back to Thracian, ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The recent history, the struggles of the 20th century, the movements of population, the richness of the multiculturalism of the region, the farming tradition, architecture and customs, offer a deeper understanding of the wealth of the local history and culture. Paths connected everything in the past. History, everyday life and cultures moved along them. Today we can walk them too.
In cooperation with the Xanthi municipality and with the active involvement of local schools, cultural organizations and volunteers, the project “Greek Paths of Culture in Thrace” started by selecting the route's paths and by careful maintenance, signposting and communication, preserved and made these paths accessible and attractive again. The goal is to promote hiking tourism, thus stimulating the economy of the area, and offering to visitors and locals the opportunity to discover the cultural and environmental heritage, plus the natural beauty of Thrace in a healthy and eco – friendly way.
Key objectives for sustainability
A sustainable trail supports use with minimal impact on nearby ecosystems. Our ancestors had accumulated experience and know how through millennia of use and trail construction. We preserved their work, employing the same principles that made their trail design functional and long lasting. Sustainable trails make use and maintenance as simple and low-cost as possible. A sustainable trail will lead users to desired destinations while avoiding wet areas, steep slopes, critical habitats, and other culturally or environmentally sensitive areas. During selection of the trails in Thrace and their maintenance, the following criteria were carefully followed:
1/ We kept water off the trail: Erosion is the number one problem for sustainable trails. It damages trails, is expensive to repair and diminishes the user experience. The old trails we used were already designed to channel water effectively away. In many sections, cobblestones were used to reinforce the surface and guard against erosion. These paths were re-opened and now are in use again, centuries after they were built.
2/ We followed natural contours: This way, walking them is easier, and they shed water, being inherently sustainable.
3/ We keep users on the trail: When users leave the trail tread, they widen it and create braided trails. These cause environmental damage and raise maintenance costs. Using proper selection, signposting and vegetation trimming, the user has no reason to leave the trail and cause damage.
4/ We planned for different user experiences: Trails must meet different users needs and expectations. The variety of the day sections and the wealth of experiences on offer along the Thrace trails ensure their long term use and sustainability.
By preserving existing, old trails and opening them to modern use, linked and promoted to create a new experience, using locally sourced materials where applicable, environmental awareness is raised, helping with nature conservation issues.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Our key objectives for the quality of experience and the fulfillment of the hikers' usual expectations, centered also the intangible benefits for the users, the community and the relationship between people and nature. Walking the trails in Thrace is an opportunity to experience solitude or companionship, recreation or challenge; an opportunity for the appreciation of nature; a means of achieving renewal of body and mind. Hiking provides a low risk, but high immersion activity. Relaxation, socializing and discovery contribute to user satisfaction, and the concept of "aesthetics of pleasure" can bring highly positive psychological outcomes. The day sections of “Nestos – Rodopi Trail” and the additional trails in the greater area were selected to showcase natural and cultural heritage, to offer a unique combination of varied and interesting landscapes and ecosystems, interaction with local communities, connection with the areas’ history and a feeling of discovery, as they are away from the usual tourist routes. The following objectives were followed, regarding the quality of the experience:
1/ Prestige and status(sense of personal growth, acquiring new skills, feeling of success, overcoming fear, interacting with people and the environment).
2/ Group togetherness (participation, family recreation, spending time with someone special, experiencing fun and excitement, spending time with friends)
3/ Knowledge seeking (learning about nature, history, sharing in the challenge, and educating oneself)
4/ Escape and relaxation (exploring a new destination, getting away from routine, no crowds guaranteed)
5/ Photography and attraction (practicing photography, a habit of adventure, desire to feel part of an adventure)
6/ Enhancing relations (participating with friends and family, or in order to tell friends about the experience, strengthening relationships among users and local inhabitants)
7/ Novelty (a new destination, different culture, and doing ‘something different’)
Key objectives for inclusion
The selection of the routes and the daily sections was made with the criteria of local communities engagement, including a number of villages in order to share benefits throughout the area. We took care to include muslim minority areas to enhance and promote diversity in cultural heritage.The project brings a source of income to communities situated far off the usual areas that tourists visit – it could even make the difference between the inhabitants abandoning them or staying, giving them the opportunity to access new sources of income, generating services that previously were not available in these areas. A bright example of this is the tavern at Kottani village, which has become a hub for all visitors to this isolated settlement, where previously no infrastructure catering to visitors existed.
The project is a low impact but high value tool in a multicultural area, until recently excluded from any government funded development of the tourist infrastructure. Inclusivity also means easy access, as the route starts from the centre of Xanthi and there are no fees for using the infrastructure created by the project. This makes it also a low cost activity, as there is no need for specialist equipment – shoes and a backpack are enough to enjoy one of the daily sections. Also, all age groups can participate, as the sections are selected to include easy and moderate trails. This facilitated the trails use as an educational tool for schoolchildren of all ages: Accompanied by their teachers and specialists, they can make firsthand discoveries, learning about and connecting to their area’s culture and environment while having fun.
It is worth mentioning that the whole project was implemented at no cost to the municipalities involved, completely funded by donors. There is also potential for international cooperation, as the trail can expand north and connect to trails in the Bulgarian part of Rodopi, creating a cross-border project.
Results in relation to category
Abandoned for decades, old trails were forgotten and overgrown from disuse. For the “Nestos – Rodopi Trail” plus the 4 complementary trails, more than 74 km of old trails were re-discovered, maintained and signposted. Preserved and transformed,with a new purpose,ready for people from all over the world to enjoy them. Areas and villages that were “invisible and unknown” to the greater public, now are “on the map”, in connection with an enjoyable activity. The total package of benefits that these preserved trails provide to communities, includes public health, economic benefits, and even a positive effect on community pride and identity.There is a sense of pride in the eyes of the locals, when they meet hikers and realize that they have come to discover “their” countryside. As a result, they feel that their homeland has a new importance, a new purpose, and that it’s valuable for what it is – worth preserving, along with their culture and way of life.
Trails were transformed from “local use only” (or no use at all), to public recreation and education, becoming a tool for sustainable development of underprivileged areas. The “Nestos – Rodopi Trail” has all the qualifications and the potential to become a tourist product that brings opportunity and benefits to all kinds of businesses in a large area. Especially due to Covid-19 restrictions and preventive measures, outdoor activities became even more valuable and sought after, enhancing the positive impact of the project’s trails.
When seen as a whole, the evidence about the far-reaching benefits of trails is compelling, especially given the absence of public investment involved compared to other undertakings with the same community goals.
The European Ramblers Association / Leading Quality Trails certification awarded to the “Nestos – Rodopi Trail” generated a great deal of interest from municipalities in other parts of Greece, leading to an awareness about low impact, sustainable and inclusive hiking infrastructure.
How Citizens benefit
Citizens / civil society have been involved in various aspects of the project from the very beginning. For instance:
a/ A number of volunteers participated in the capacity building workshop organised by ELLET and the European Ramblers Association to acquaint the local community with the principles of the “Leading Quality Trails” and the philosophy of hiking tourism. The seminar included information on international standards of hiking and trail design, the holistic aspect of the hiking experience and field practice. Participants included representatives of local mountaineering clubs, forestry authorities, tourism professionals and municipality officers.
b/ More than 200 participants attended the seminar “Greek Paths of Culture & Entrepreneurship / Branding of Tourism Destinations”, held on 23/9/2016, in Xanthi in the framework of the “Greek Paths of Culture in Thrace”programme. The seminar was addressed to the general public, students and professionals of the tourism sector, local producers, representatives of state institutions and professional associations. Distinguished speakers –including academics, entrepreneurs, communication specialists, tourism industry stakeholders – shared their knowledge and experience, presenting new trends and case studies / best practices from all over Greece. The seminar placed special emphasis on the opportunities presented with the implementation of this project, as well as on the importance of synergies on a local, national and international level.
c/ Volunteers worked on various stages of the implementation: Path clearing, collecting information material and inauguration ceremony.
It has been a priority to help the local communities first identify themselves as beneficiaries of this project and then identify sustainable development opportunities based on the protection and promotion of the environment and cultural heritage. This results in citizens’ ownership of the project, which in turn ensures its sustainability.
Innovative character
It is the first time that such a project was implemented in Thrace, placing importance in preservation of old trails and reconversion of cultural heritage.
The use of the trails as a platform for raising awareness constitutes an innovative way to address a number of topical issues of our time including sustainable development, preservation of cultural heritage, environmental protection, income generation and citizen participation, now more than ever interlinked. The local community involvement is key to the success of the project. Schools, young people and volunteers from all over Greece are invited to use the paths and include them in educational activities. By ‘adopting’ a path, they become deeply engaged with the history, maintenance and activities of the walking routes.
The project -addressed to all ages/groups without social exclusion- follows a holistic approach introducing the concept of cultural landscape to the area.
For this innovative character the Greek Paths of Culture programme was awarded the Europa Nostra Award 2019, considered an excellent example of integrating cultural heritage and the surrounding natural landscape. As the jury noted:
-“The project has a large community base, involving many local municipalities and local NGOs”.
-“The importance of communal maintenance of access ways is underlined and the contribution of this to the economic sustainability and the growth of local enterprises is reinforced.”
- “The project blends the philosophy of well-being with history, heritage, biodiversity and landscape, and underscores important linkages between culture and nature. The old tradition of experiencing landscape on foot, in contrast to modern means of mobility, is referenced and the landmarks along the paths are carefully chosen to enable the exploration of both culture and nature. The different aspects of tangible and intangible cultural heritage assets are experienced in a holistic approach to cultural landscapes.”