Drama

25 km northwest of Drama at the village Aggitis is the stalactite cave of Maras. Because of an underground river course in the cave, there are stalactites only, but no stalagmites.

The gorge of Petrusa begins north of the village of Pyrgos and ends in Petrousa. With a length of more than 10 km, it is a magnet for nature hikers who can traverse it under vertical rocks in an amazing natural beauty landscape. In many places, the gorge is quite narrow with a width of not more than 3-5 m with some pools. In winter, the river carries a lot of water, so you can not walk there. In summer, in the small open-air theater at the entrance of the gorge in Petrusa concerts are performed, which are worth the visit just for the view and the special atmosphere.

The "Dassiko Horio" hotel is in the middle of the Elatia Forest, the southernmost point of Europe, where you can find alpine vegetation. The Elatia Forest Hotel is the starting point for walks in the "Frakto mediterranean primeval forest". You drive from Drama passing the Nestos dam and the village Sidironero on a paved road to Skaloti. From there follow the dirt road for 15 km to the hotel. Elatia is the largest forest in Greece with a variety of special plants and animals. UNESCO has classified the forest as a natural monument with protected areas, especially the pristine part of Fraktos. Hiking in the uninhabited area requires proper preparation.

About 50 km from Drama on the mountain Falakros is the ski centre of the same name. The environment is wonderful and the views impressive, so you should not miss a visit even in the summer.

Fort Lisse is one of the fortifications of the Metaxas line from World War II, on the northern border of Greece near the village Ochyro, about 2 km from the city of Kato Nevrokopi. In this fortress, the Greek army fought on 6 and 7 April 1941 against the invasion of the Wehrmacht in Greece. In memory of this battle a monument was erected and a small museum was built. The museum's exhibits include firearms from the Greek and German armies, uniforms, medals, various personal belongings of soldiers and officers, as well as a map from 1941 depicting the Battle of the Forts. There is an artillery in the courtyard with which the forts were defended. You can participate in a computer simulation game, which makes the museum interesting for young people.

From the ruined castle Adriani only the foundation walls are left. What makes the approximately 5 km dirt road nevertheless worth going, is the fantastic view over the mountains and the Pangaion Mountain range. On the ruins of the castle, a chapel (Ag.Ioannis) was built, which is very photogenic despite its simplicity because of the stunning landscape.

The sanctuary was the centre of the Dionysian cult of the area from the end of the 4th century BC. The sanctuary is open to the public after consultation with the Archaeological Museum of Drama and on Epiphany and August Full Moon.

Inhabited from prehistoric times to the 6th century AD.

The 200- to 300-year-old "Drama Bridge" is not a bridge, but a 50-cm-wide, narrow aqueduct near the village of Nikiforos on the main street to Paranesti. The bridge is the theme in a well-known Turkish folk song.

Coming from Petrussa, shortly after the end of the gorge, on the right side you can see the ruins of an ancient fortification with the Greek flag visible from afar. Tradition has it that the wife of Alexander the Great (Roxane) was imprisoned here after his death, since she was not welcome as a Persian to the Macedonians. A few kilometres further you come to the very worth seeing mountain village Pyrgi, which means towers. In the village you can see the ruins of several towers built of natural stone, which were probably residential towers, comparable to those in the well-known villages on the Mani (Peloponnese). These defensive towers were multi-story houses with small windows, designed to defend its inhabitants. The village is in a fantastic mountain landscape with some photogenic churches and a recommendable simple restaurant, where you can sit cool even in midsummer.

A fortress was built on the hill above the Maara cave in the late Roman or Byzantine times. In several places the height ranges from 1 to 3 m. The thickness is 1.30 m and gives the inhabitants (probably the settlement found on the right bank of Aggitis) control over the valley and the passes of the region.

There is a small bird of prey park in the village Agora east of Drama. The Birdwatching Park from 15 June to 15 September will be open daily from 17:00 and the weekend from 11:00. Birds flying will take place on Saturday and Sunday at 19:00.