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Pano Riza
In Crete, the biggest island of Greece, north of the Prefecture of Heraklion, at the borders of Psiloritis, is located the area of Pano Riza. Pano Riza is comprised of the Municipality of Zaros, with Zaros as its capital, the Municipality of Rouvas, with Gergeris as its capital and a mountainous part of the Municipality of Tympaki. At the extreme end of Europe, where Psiloritis reaches the plain of Messara and the Libyan Sea, there is a place different from the others, a part of Crete with distinct beauty. Nature has been very generous at this southern part of the sacred mountain Nature has given water, blessing for the land, beauty, forests and pure vegetation. It made its people peaceful and at the same time strong with sharp and doughty appearance. The land of forests and sharp rock lands, the land of gorges and waters, of fountains and windmills calls us to join, to become communicants of the mystagogy of Gods and people, communicants of nature that is in total harmony with its people. Pano Riza is considered nature’s balcony at the top of the low land of Messara that benefits from the mild climate and the dew of the waters popping out of the fountains of Psiloritis. The mountain tops of Psiloritis fall sharply creating enormous cliffs covered by tons of pebbles and rocks that slide from the top. There are small gorges that begin from the mountains ending up to small rivers that cross over the flat country zone, such as the Vrelianos and Koutsoulidis rivers, where the dam of “Faneromeni” is built, as well as the Litheos river from which ancient Gortina was irrigating. For water supply in Gortina, during the Roman era, the water was being transferred through an artificial channel from the Zaros and Gergeris fountains. However, the most impressive element of the anaglyph is the depression of Rouvas at the northern part of Gergeri. There, the forest of Gergeri is the starting point of Gafaris gorge that ends up to the artificial lake of Zaros. The main road access in the area is mainly through Heraklion city, by the main by-pass towards Agia Varvara. The forestal and rural roads lead to the steep cliffs that end up to the plateaus and the mountain tops of Psiloritis. With Gergeri as the starting point, we cross the mountain of Rouvas to reach Nida and then Anogia village. This is a route that connects the north with the south. The majority of the dorps in the area are build at the banks of the mountains, irrelevant with the natural characteristics of the land. Panasos, Gergeri, Nivritos, Zaros, Vorizia, Kamares are the biggest villages of the area. Due to the location of these villages, they benefit from the fertile low land and at the same time from the numerous feeding grounds of the mountain for stockbreeding. However, the biggest benefit of all is the presence of the rich natural resources such as the pure water of Psiloritis that for many decades was the main source for the windmills of the area. The Municipalities of Rouvas and Zaros have reconstructed and recreated many of the windmills and water routes.
