Paranesti () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes (; , ; , ''Rodopi''; ) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in Greece. Golyam Perelik is its highest peak ...
of northeastern
Drama regional unit,
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. It consists of two municipal units: Paranesti and Nikoforos. The largest villages of the municipal unit Paranesti are Paranésti (the municipal seat, pop. 625), Mesochório (105), Káto Thólos (123), Χágnanto (43), and Prasináda (32).
The
Natural History Museum of Paranesti is located in Paranesti.
Transport
The settlement has a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
on the
Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli Line
Paranesti lies on the
Greek National Road 14 (
Drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
to
Xanthi
Xanthi is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace.
Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope mountain chain, the city is divided ...
). A rough unpaved (gravel and dirt) road connects Paranesti directly with the Bulgarian village of
Gorna Arda and thus to the paved Bulgarian road network of
Smolyan Province
Smolyan Province (, ''Oblast Smolyan''; former name Smolyan okrug) is a province in Southern-central Bulgaria, located in the Rhodope Mountains, neighbouring Greece to the south. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre — the ...
. The full length of the road became usable after Bulgaria's full accession to the
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...
in 2025 and locals have called for its improvement.
Municipality
The municipality Paranesti was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):
*
Nikiforos (Adriani, Ano Pyxari, Nikiforos, Platania, Platanovrysi, Ptelea, Ypsili Rachi)
*Paranesti (Paranesti, Sili, Tholos)
The municipality has an area of 1029.392 km
2, the municipal unit 788.394 km
2.
References
External links
Official website
Municipalities of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Populated places in Drama (regional unit)
{{EMacedoniaThrace-geo-stub