20/11/2006
Trachonio bridge

Nikolaos Th. Kokkas Source: C.E.T.I.

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The big single bowed bridge of Trachonio is located in the Arkoudorema. It is the biggest stone bridge of Drama’s prefecture. The decking’s is 41 m in length and 2.50 m in width. The bow’s aperture is in 17.50 m and 10 m in height. There is a wood of slivers around the bridge. Between 1930-40 side walls were added (1 m in height) on the decking. Iron bars were placed in order to protect passing walkers and animals. The bridge connected the Trachoni village with Dipotama, which is 20 km away from Paranesti.
Drama’s Arkoudorema is a biotope of exceptional beauty that was full of life. Nowadays, most of the mountainous villages of the Arkoudorema village are abandoned. Trachoni, that was also called Balaban, had 434 inhabitants in 1920 and 219 in 1928. At the north side of Trachoni, we meet the Fraktos wood, a preservable natural monument for its great ecological value. It is virgin forest were many different kinds of broadleaf and coniferous trees coexist, such as firs, pine trees, beeches, box elders and birches. The area’s fauna is also remarkable: more than 100 bird species and 32 rare mammals, like the bear or the reindeer, exist.