Dadia Forest

The Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park protects a great swathe of low, rolling hills in the Evros region, clothed in a mosaic of pine and oak woodland broken by clearings, pastures and streams. It was among the first areas in Greece to be given protected status, and it is celebrated above all as one of the most important refuges for birds of prey anywhere in Europe.

The forest's fame rests on its raptors. Three of Europe's four vulture species live here, the black, griffon and Egyptian vultures, and Dadia holds the only breeding population of the huge black vulture left in the Balkans. Alongside them soar eagles, buzzards, harriers, falcons and kites, drawn by the varied habitat and by a supplementary feeding station established to support the vultures. In all, more than 35 of Europe's 38 diurnal birds of prey have been recorded in the wider area, an astonishing tally.

Visitors begin at the information centre near Dadia village, which explains the ecology of the forest and organises the short shuttle to the observatory. From the hide, telescopes are trained on the feeding station, where on a good day patient watchers can see vultures and eagles come in to feed at close range. Marked walking trails also thread the surrounding woodland, leading to viewpoints over the hills and offering the chance of raptors overhead and a wealth of smaller birds, reptiles and wildflowers.

The forest is more than a birdwatching site. It is a genuine wilderness by Greek standards, quiet and little visited, and part of a landscape rich in traditional life. The nearby town of Soufli is famous as the historic centre of Greek silk production, with silk museums and old cocoon-drying houses well worth a visit, while the Evros river and its wetlands lie a short distance to the east.

Dadia is reached by road from Alexandroupoli or Soufli and works well as a day trip, though simple guesthouses in Dadia village let keen naturalists stay close to the action. Spring is prime time, when raptors are breeding and the forest is green, while high summer is good for seeing young vultures leaving the nest.