Mt. Voras (2524m / 8281 ft) is named after the mythical Voreas, son of Aeolus, ruler of the winds. Voreas was the personification of winter storms, common on the mountain, and wild horses. Another name of the mountain is Kaimaktsalan, the turkish word for buttercream because of its snowy peaks.

The mountain range is a Natura 2000 protected area with large forests of beech, pine, oak, chestnut, juniper, hornbeam, hazel, birch and other species of trees. On its alpine slopes there are hundreds of plant species including Ranunculus cacuminis, endemic only to the peak of this mountain, the impressive Geum coccineum and lilium martagon . Alder and plane groves grow alongside its rivers and streams.

Rocky peaks, dense forests, alpine meadows and isolation (the mountain is the natural border of Northern Greece with no roads or border crossings to the north from here) provide a biotope for wild animals and birds. Vultures, eagles, buzzards, horned owls, woodpeckers and a hundred other species of birds can be observed. Hares, squirrels, hedgehogs, European otters, badgers and pine martens are some of the small mammals that thrive while there are recovering numbers of bears, wolves, jackals, deer, wild boar and wild cats.

On account of its geographical location the mountain has a dense history of battles and struggles that have left their mark both to the mountain and its people. We regularly organise guided tours for the exploration of the flora and fauna and the local history through our social cooperative. More information about this ecosystem and opportunities to explore it can be found on www.bearbonesscience.com, Dr Angeliki’s Savvantoglou website about her research on the mountain.

If you visit for woodturning lessons there are many points of interest to explore within a 20km radius of our workshop.

• A ski centre
• A hike to the top of the mountain, the church of Profitis Elias
• The Black Forest
• Lake Vegoritida, lake Petron and lake of Agras
• Numerous pristine rarely visited hike paths
• The city of Edessa with its waterfalls
• The hot springs of Pozar and the river gorge trek of Moglenitsa
• The traditional village of Nymfeon, home to a bear sanctuary
• Many sites of importance to local history like the abandoned village of Ksanthogeia or the partisan’s hideouts on the slopes of Voras