Fénykép: Konstantinos Karantzoulis, Paths of Greece
In the northeastern part of Greece, north of the Regional Units of Drama and Xanthi, the mountain range of Western and Central Rodopi marks the natural border between Greece and Bulgaria.
The stone arched bridges that are scattered along the Mountains of Rodopi also have their own special history in human societies. They may be small in size and mostly unknown, yet they continue to be remarkable examples of folk architecture, part of the cultural heritage of the place and important historical evidence.
The four bridges presented here are located in the mountainous area of the Municipality of Paranesti, close to the settlements of Dipotama and Trachoni. These are the bridge in Tsoukali stream, the bridge in Vathirema (known as Balaban bridge), the bridge of the old Fort (Palio Filakio) in Arkoudorema and the bridge of Dipotama near the chapel of Agio Pnevma (the Holy Spirit).