High up in Greece’s Pindus Mountains Europe/Middle-East >
Southern Europe > Greece The Pindus Mountains in northern Greece
contain some of the country’s highest peaks, including Mt
Smolikas, the country’s second tallest mountain after Mt
Olympus, and are home to a number of species such as brown bear,
wolf and jackal. Illegal logging, road construction, ski
facilities and mountain tourism, however, threaten extensive
forest areas. The Papingo Information Centre, established by WWF
and the local community, is monitoring the threats and educating
visitors about the region’s unique biodiversity. The centre also
supports a number of conservation projects and promotes
ecotourism. Northern Pindos includes 2 national parks (Vikos-
Aoos and Valia Kalda/Northern Pindos) and the mountainous forest
areas around them. The main values of the area are: extremely
beautiful landscapes, the most diverse mosaic of forest types,
the Zagori group of 45 villages of traditional architecture, the
most complete alpine zone animal com