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Goúra Park

Anávra’s derelict paradise

By Georgios Vasilopoulos

April 7^th, 2023

Walking through Anavra’s ‘Goura’ Environmental and Cultural Park (Περιβαλλοντικό και πολιτισμικό πάρκο ‘Γουρα’ Ανάβρας), it would be easy to assume the park was a victim of the Greek financial crisis or, possibly, the COVID-19 pandemic, but the truth is so much more disheartening.

In 2011, as part of the Kallikratis programme to reduce the number of municipalities and prefectures in Greece, Anávra ceased to be a self-governing community, instead becoming part of the municipality of Almyrós—and ending its autonomy to seek EU development funding and continue implementing the creative programmes that had made it such a success in the previous two decades.

Former mayor and president of Anávra’s heritage society Anávra-Zo, Dimítris Tsoukalás—who, during the 1990s and 2000s, turned Anávra around from a rundown mud pit in the mountains to the wealthiest community in the EU—explains:

“Regarding the publications about Anávra on Facebook and elsewhere... in recent times, references (reports, videos etc) to the “miracle of Anávra”, the “principality of Greece” etc have seen the light of day—especially on Facebook. I am obliged, in the face of the truth, to state that unfortunately the image that is presented of our village does not correspond to today's reality. It concerns Anavra Magnesia as it was until 31 December 2010. After all, many of them are false and non-existent, they were never true.

“Since 2011, with the abolition of the community and the inclusion of Anávra in the Municipality of Almyros (Kallikratis law), many things have unfortunately changed for the worse in our village. Many organisations (local authorities, universities, schools, environmental organisations etc) and individuals contact us to visit Anávra, to get to know the development model (1991–1994, 1999–2010) and to teach them about it. However, this is impossible since Anávra today presents an image of abandonment in all areas. We cannot talk about an example of development, even more so if it is not suitable for presentation by the media. Of course, a great effort is being made to maintain and preserve everything that is possible by Anávra-Zo and the active Association of Anavriots everywhere. But this is not enough. The disappointment of those who visit our village is great.

“This is not the time to search and analyse the causes of this sad phenomenon, perhaps this ongoing abandonment that we experience every day in Anávra will become a permanent subject of discussion in the future. I am sorry to be forced to make this statement, but the responsibility and courage which has distinguished and guided my actions until now dictated that I do so.”

A bridge on the footpath, washed out from heavy rains and landslides, clings on, impassible, as it is slowly reclaimed by nature.

A look back to better times when the park was immaculately kept through local authority funding. The park continued to be funded for several more years through donations but these have since all but stopped.

Today the paths are overgrown, although the park remains open to visitors.

The water-powered wash-house—once a symbol of Anávriots’ ingenuity, and carefully restored to working order in the late 1990s—stands motionless, its components crumbling.

The pond is a focal point of the park, surrounded by amphitheatre-style seating. Its once-clear waters are now tainted with algae and it has become a breeding-ground for mosquitos and other insects.

What was once a park seen by the Anávriots as a ‘paradise’ now lies in ruin after years of neglect. While the government’s consolidation will have benefited some communities around the country thanks to economies of scale, in the case of Anávra, this action only succeeded in strangling the creative efforts of a community with vision, initiative, volunteerism and a desire for a better future—those who were working toward a better Greece.