Petaloúdes, Butterfly Valley, Rhodes, Greece by dancing_triss

The Wonderful Butterfly Valley

One of the most visited areas in Rhodes is the beautiful Butterfly Valley. It’s a natural park that is situated deep within the gorgeous forest where the wonderful Panaxia butterflies are scattered about. If you visit during August you’ll notice a huge increase in the amount of Panaxia butterflies. This is the prime time of their reproduction. The sight of millions of butterflies fluttering all throughout the region is quite a beautiful sight to see. Anyone who loves butterflies, gorgeous fauna and an all-around good time will appreciate a beautiful stroll through this area.

Rest Areas

During your nature trail you may want to stop and take a rest; you’ll have no shortage of areas to get a bite to eat and relax. There is a restaurant and cafeteria section that will offer you some great options for a memorable lunch.  You can also visit the butterfly museum and learn all about the reproduction cycles and details about the Panaxia butterflies. It’s very important that you do not disturb the butterflies of the region at any time during your trip as they are highly protected by wildlife authorities. You should always be respectful of nature when you’re visiting these types of areas.

Butterfly in Petaloudes (Butterfly Valley), Rhodes, Greece by dancing_triss

What to Bring Along

It’s a good idea to bring along a camera as your hiking trail is certain to be filled with many beautiful sights. An evening nature stroll through the park is ideal as it will allow you to snap some of the most beautiful pictures. Using flash is not recommended as it can disturb the butterflies of the region. The rocky terrain can be a bit hard on your feet, so you want to be certain that you have a good set of shoes for the trail.

Author Byline:

Randy Johnson has worked for many hotels in Rhodes Greece and has experience in travel planning.

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Author: dysiu

Mylna Cave is situated at an altitude of 1098 metres above sea level. Its total length is 1630 metres, but only 300 metres is open to the public. The temperature in the cave in summer is around 5 °C and in winter drop below freezing. The cave consists of several tunnels that lead into different cavities. Some corridors had to be artificially extended, so the visitors could pass through. There is a small stream flowing through the cavity, which is a home to a unique troglobite – a blind shellfish – Niphargus tatrensis.

It is possible to get to the cave by following the marked hiking trail that leads through the valley up to the cave entrance. If you plan to visit the cave, you must have a reliable flash light. The cave is not lighted, and it happened already several times that the visitors get lost in the dark. Prepare for the narrow passages (sometimes you even have to crawl), slippery rocks and mud in some areas. It is definitely not recommended to enter the cave with large backpacks. You should really wear good shoes and warm clothes. The tour is without guide and takes you about 30 minutes. The arrangement of the corridors is quite complicated, so they are carefully marked. You certainly should not abandon the route. Once you decide to visit a cave, you should also not enter alone or in such case at least let someone know that you intend to visit the cave.

Mylna Cave is accessible throughout the year.

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Vastseliina castle was founded in the 14th century by German knights. It became the border point between the territories of the Teutonic Knights and the Russian area. Until the mid-19th century the area prospered. The castle is situated right on the road to Meremäe.

When you go to the castle away from the former Norman pub, on the left in the valley you will see Vastseliina Park, where a nice 15 km long circular hiking trail starts. This lead along the river up to the north to Suumremetse. Near the ruins there is a map with walking and cycling trails.

To Vastseliina castle you can get a regular bus connection from the metropolis Võru, which goes several times a day. Some buses then continue to the town of Missa.

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Peklo, The Czech Republic by RadekS

Peklo is a popular destination for tourists, geologists and botanists. The valley is rich in endangered plant species (e.g. spring snowflake, Primrose higher) and animals (e.g. eagle owl, kingfisher, river otter). Many tourists come here every spring to see the breathtaking spectacle that offers thousands of blooming snowflakes. In 1880, there was a plan to build a railway through the valley. Fortunately, the local club managed the construction of a bridge across the valley and saved this spectacular piece of nature. Today there is 24 meters high and 209 m long steel bridge with arches, which is also a technical monument. If you arrive by train across the bridge, you should notice the rock formations that resemble animals (eg, turtle, lizard). During the Thirty Years’ War, the Prussian-Austrian War or World War II, Peklo served as a refuge for the inhabitants of surrounding villages against the military units.

Through the Peklo valley leads very pleasant and not difficult hiking trail which is 4 km long. It is a narrow forest trail and contains several footbridges crossing the stream. You can even walk through the rock tunnel. At the southern end of the valley lies Karba settlement with houses sunk into the rocks.

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Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy by Artur Staszewski

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Typical tower houses, each in different colour, have about 3 to 4 floors. They have two entrances: the front and rear, which allows direct access to upper floors. In the upper part of Riomaggiore there is the Church of San Giovanni Battista, built in 1340 by Antonio Fieschi, bishop of Luni. Just above the church there is the Castle of Riomaggiore, which dates back to the 13th century. It dominates the village from the hill. Interesting is also the 16th century oratory of the Disciplinati also called “church of the Confraternita dell’Assunta”.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Richard, enjoy my life!

But the most beautiful and famous part of Riomaggiore is Via dell’Amore – a hiking trail across the charming countryside leading to the near Manarola. The trail has been closed at the end of the 80s because of a lot of landslides. Thanks to the financing of the European Union in 1995 some renovation works were begun and finally the “Via dell’Amore” was reopened and you can now admire the breathtaking views from the trail.

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Bärenschützklamm Steige, Austria by Sonicccgraz

Bärenschützklamm, sometimes called also as Mixnitz Klamm according to the village Mixnitz at which the gorge is located, is really very beautiful natural gorge through which leads the tourist trail. The trail is located near the small town of Pernegg an der Mur. Bärenschützklamm offers a truly magnificent walk through the rocks by wooden walkways, stairs and ladders. Thanks to this wooden trail you can get into otherwise totally inaccessible places. You will see the beautiful waterfalls, rock overhangs and absolutely stunning natural gems, everywhere around you.

The hiking trail has been operating since 1901. In 1978 the gorge was declared as a natural protected monument. In 1997 there was a big storm that heavily damaged the trail but fortunately it was repaired within few years.

Bärenschützklamm by AndreasResch

The trail through Bärenschützklamm is only 5 kilometers long and you will pass the elevation of 350 meters (from 750 meters to 1100 meters). More experienced hikers can then continue climbing the mountain Hochlantsch (1722 meters above sea level). The valley is a part of the mountain Grazer Bergland.

The entrance to the valley is not for free. In 2010 it was € 3.50 per adult. But believe me, it’s really worth to visit this gorge, so beautiful and long pathway through such a beautiful countryside you can not find anywhere else!

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