Lailias

The forrest of Lailias, high up the Vrondou mountains, has an intense aesthetic presence and phytosociological importance. It is a high beech- and pine-tree forest, with a surface of 8.000 acres, a unique paradise near the City of Serres (25 Km.), linked with a thousand legends and stories. A mountainous complex, the highest peak being Ali Babas (1850 m.), covered with trees at 83% and roads 110 Km long, it consists a rare example of harmony between the wild landscape and the admirable beauty of nature.

The high trees, the steep gorges, the huge rocks, fascinate the admirers of the mountain and the open country. In the winter, the forrest turns really alpic, since it is covered by thick snow. At the Ali Baba peak there is a spring of excellent fresh water, used in older days to prepare the Akanedes (kind of sweet jelly), which also today consists the traditional local sweet of Serres. Thanks to the excellent weather conditions, the region is ideal all year long for pick-nicks, hiking, mountaineering, athletic games; in the winter, on the other hand, it is ideal for winter sports, since there are ski pistes, and a modern refuge (1500 m.), which can host 80 people daily overnight. The long-distance paths E4 and E6 cross Lailias and continue thereafter.

On the flora and fauna level, the landscape hosts big mammals and rare birds. The few brown bears are found at the northern steep part of the region; moreover, one meets wild boars, roe-deers, otters, birds of prey, wild geese, and valley partridges, which consist the admirable natural world of the region. The number of visitors during the winter rises to 10.000.