Ιστορία – ΚΑΝΟΝΙ ορεινός αγώνας Νυμφαίας

It is truly a magical location, situated 4 km north of Komotini, dominated by the Nymfaia Peri-Urban Forest, just four kilometers from the city.

Many locals and visitors enjoy carefree walks through the pine-covered landscape along the cobblestone paths, resting at the small kiosks scattered throughout the forest. The area is primarily covered with pines and is an ideal place for walking, exercising, or relaxing.

The forest is situated on a hill, offering panoramic views of Komotini and the Rhodope plain. At the edge of the forest, the municipality has built a tourist pavilion with large halls, used for cultural events as well as conferences.

There are designated areas with kiosks, tables, benches, paved pathways, fountains, and courts for basketball, volleyball, and tennis.

 

 

  Nymfaia Fortress

 

The Nymfaia Fortress It is a military museum located 17 kilometers north of Komotini near the Greek-Bulgarian border. The fortress was built between 1936 and 1940 and is one of the fortification works of the Ioannis MetaxasThe Nymfaia Fortress is now famous for the battle that took place from April 6 to 9, 1941, when the German army attacked and eventually captured the fortress. Since 2000, the Nymfaia Fortress has operated as a military museum.

Northwest of the fortress, Pontic cultural events are organized annually. Παρχάρια

 

The Nymfaia Fortress and World War II Military Museum are located near the village of the same name, 17 km north of Komotini, and can be visited with approval from the 2nd Staff Office of the 29th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.

To reach the site, follow the paved Komotini–Nymfaia road. The museum area offers parking for buses and private vehicles, as well as restrooms and a souvenir shop. It operates in the underground facilities of the Nymfaia Fortress, as an integral part of its World War II history, and is dedicated to the heroic Battle of the Forts in April 1941.

It is the newest military museum of the “Metaxas Line,” as its collection was completed and the museum officially opened in 2000. It is located on the upper floor of the fortress. The purpose of this military museum exhibition is to present the events of the fortress battle, showcase artifacts related to the German attack in April 1941, and inform visitors about the living conditions of the fortress’s defending garrison during the war.

The exhibition extends into a visitable corridor and an interior chamber on the fortress’s first floor. Along the corridor, dioramas have been used to reconstruct the commander’s office, the sergeant’s quarters, and the fortress medical station, simulating their original state to recreate the living conditions of the fortress defenders.

In a large chamber of the corridor, visual materials and fortress relics are displayed. On one side of the room, a photographic exhibition presents significant figures of the era, such as Prime Ministers I. Metaxas and A. Koryzis, Generals A. Papagos and K. Bakopoulos, various types of fortification works, and period photographs depicting moments of the combat along the “Metaxas Line.” The same area also exhibits reproductions of contemporary newspapers covering the Battle of the Forts and specifically the defense of the Nymfaia Fortress, as well as excerpts from military orders.

On the opposite wall of the same chamber, display cases exhibit relics from the fortress battle. The central case showcases samples of personal weapons used by the combatants, including machine guns, pistols, rifles, submachine guns, and bayonets. At the base of the case are an MG42 machine gun and a Hotchkiss machine gun. The other cases display the uniforms of German and Greek officers and soldiers, including field gear, gas masks, flags, and medals. Next to the uniform cases, framed collections of Greek and German medals are also exhibited.

Through an installed audiovisual system, visitors can follow the course of the battle, the movements of the attacking German forces, and the defensive positions of the Greek army, while also being informed about the historical context of the Greco-German War and the Battle of the Forts.

In the other well-preserved corridors on the fortress’s first floor, which are open to visitors but do not host exhibition sections, the architecture of the fortifications is clearly visible, along with the construction and organization of the corridors, the surface defensive coverings, and the living conditions of the troops stationed there. Additionally, as the walls still bear the marks of enemy fire from the German assault, the atmosphere inside the fortress during the two-day siege on April 6–7, 1941, is vividly conveyed. The second floor, also preserved, is not open to the public and is accessible only with special permission to specialized visitors and researchers studying the fortress’s history, while the third floor remains closed.

At the memorial of the Nymfaia Fortress, the main commemoration of the Battle of the Forts in the Thrace region is held with official ceremonies every April 6th, or on the following Sunday if April 6th falls on a weekday.