The 17th Dragoudeli Crossing was held on Sunday, October the 30th 2022, in a festive and joyful atmosphere at the Parthenon village in Sithonia. This year, hikers who came to enjoy nature had to choose from eight different routes based on their physical fitness and free choice.
The organization is sponsored by the Municipality of Sithonia in collaboration with the Municipal Public Benefit Enterprise, and its mission is to get people out into the forest, to walk, learn about, and love Dragoudeli, Sithonia’s mountainous mass, while also exercising the body and soul. It is an attempt to raise global awareness about issues relating to the region’s forest wealth and natural environment. The oldest itamos tree in the area is 2,500 years old.
“Despite the fact that the coronavirus and the passage were not carried out for the previous two years, we can see that participation in all routes is very high this year. We had around 1,000 entries last year and hope to have around 1,500 this year,” Marianna Lenitsa, president of the Cultural Association “O Parthenon,” said “, according to Xalkidiki Politiki.
According to the president, there were eight different routes that took place this year. The shortest route is three kilometers. It begins and ends at the Parthenon – classified as a children’s trail, and the next one is 6.5 kilometers long and easily completed by small children. The longest is 24 kilometers long and begins in Sykia and ends here at the Parthenon, while the next is 20 kilometers long and begins and ends at the Parthenon.
This year’s oldest walker was an 84-year-old lady who walked the long 17-kilometer route, while the youngest walker was only 3 months old.
Every year, at the end of his route, the walker is served food and music from traditional bands in a festive atmosphere.
source: www.xalkidikipolitiki.com
