Creating the Park

Trail of Pan

On Saturday July 30, 2011 the first trail of the proposed Parrhasian Heritage Park of the Peloponnesos was opened between Ano Karyes (Arcadia) and Neda (Messenia), 5.65 km. Thirty-five villagers together with local and regional dignitaries left the two villages at 10 am and met near the political boundary for a signing ceremony. Attending the ceremony were Mr. Evangelos Giannakouras, Governor of Arcadia, Dr. Takis Bouras, Mayor of Megalopolis, Dr. Anna Karapanagiotou, Ephor of the ΛΘ' Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Dr. David Gilman Romano, Co-Director of the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project together with members of the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project and the Parrhasian Heritage Park Field School participants.

This is the first trail to be inaugurated in the Park. It is anticipated that there will be created a network of trails that will link the modern villages with the many ancient cities and sanctuaries that are found in the area of the Park.

The planning for the Park is a partnership between the local communities, Greek planning professionals, the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project, working under the auspices of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, with the direction of and in collaboration with the Λθ’ Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in Tripolis.