Mount Hymettus Forest

The Aesthetic Forest of Hymettus is located on the west side of Mt. Hymettus, in Attica. It spans over an area of 446 ha across the east part of the city from one side all the way to the rocky slopes of Mt. Hymettus. To the west is the University Campus (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and the Kaisariani and Vyronas districts. The forest was declared an “Aesthetic Forest” in the Presidential Decree (PD) 71/94.

Mt. Hymettus Aesthetic Forest is entirely the work of the Philodassiki Society. Back in 1924, the forest was completely barren. Philodassiki’s extensive reforestation efforts, along with the restoration of Kessariani Monastery, aimed at providing a harmonious entity where nature and culture coexist. The aesthetic enhancement of the environment is underlined and provides a place for recreation for the capital’s citizens. They first managed to convince the government of the time to proclaim the region as a "Protected area". As Philodassiki had suggested, the Ministry of Agricultural Affairs" law (article 1.4029-12/2 on the 47th edition of the Government’s Newspaper) the best part of Hymettus was to be reforested. Then came World War II. First, the occupying forces stripped the mountains of their trees, later on; the desperate inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhoods cut the trees in order to use the wood as heating fuel. 

In the aftermath of the war when the country was in the process of reconstruction, a remarkable woman, Kaity Argyropoulou on her way back from the Middle East, witnessed the extent of the damage: to her great sorrow the forest had completely disappeared. She then vowed to work at restoring it. Hence, in December of 1947 under the leadership of Kaity Argyropoulou, Philodassiki undertook to restore the forests in Kessariani and Vyronas areas with the modest means at their disposal. These efforts resulted in the planting of more than three million trees within an area of approximately 600 ha. Old quarries were planted with trees from a nursery which was created, forest roads were opened, and rest and recreation areas were organized. In 1964 a small botanical garden was created with a collection of Greek wild plants. The reforestation efforts resulted in the creation of a characteristic mosaic physiognomy of plant formations in which pines are dominant, in unmixed clusters mainly with cypress, judas and carob trees. In the rocky areas there are pine trees together with kermes oak and wild olive tree. This plant variety has been enriched by the existence of an olive grove, a group of eucalyptus and the presence of water loving plants next to the streams, creating a unique landscape.

The forest suffered a severe blow during the dictatorship as well: the government appropriated a large part of the forest lands in order to build a University Campus according to a plan that had been conceived as early as 1964, regardless of the vein efforts of Philodassiki and of those representing it, to ward off the catastrophe. As a result, as much as 68 ha of forest land was relinquished so that a massive unattractive University Complex could be constructed. Some other parts of the forest were burnt by massive fire in 1968 and 1988.

The Aesthetic Forest of Mt. Hymettus is rich in flora and fauna. The whole region is also of great importance for birdlife especially that of small birds. Mammals as well as a certain kind of bat have been observed in the forest. The area of the Aesthetic Forest is ideal for leisure and recreational activities such as walking on the roads and paths of the whole area, sport activities, resting in properly developed areas, enjoying the view from various outlooks, cycling, visiting the local historical sites, educational activities regarding the natural environment and specifically the flora and fauna of Mt. Hymettus and organized guided tours at the Botanical Garden of Philodassiki.