PETRIFIED FOREST

Between Eressos and Sigri you find the Protected Natural Monument of the Petrified Forest. The Petrified Forest was the result of a volcanic eruption around 21 to 16 million years ago. The intense volcanic activity buried below the ash the oaks, sequoias and other trees of the region, of which there are no modern equivalents. Today, two thirds of Lesvos is covered by volcanic rock.

The park is accessible via a 5 km long paved road which starts from the 15^th km mark of the Antissa-Sigri road. Visitors to the park can tour an entire mountainside along specially constructed trails. There are three different trails which all lead to the major petrified trunks in the park. Trail one "Discovering the Petrified Forest” is common for all visitors and is an introduction to the Petrified Forest. Trail two, " The History of the Petrified Coniferous Forest”, is referred to the creation of the forest, while trail three, which is the longest walk, consists the tallest tree standing trucks, the majority of which belong to the Taxodioxylon family. Trail four is of particular scientific interest as it runs through the location of the petrified remains of Protopinaceae, predecessors of today's pine tree.

The petrified flora that was found in the area indicates that the Petrified Forest was developed in a subtropical climate, similar to that of Southeast Asia and America. It is said that the Petrified forest could be named "the Pompeii of the plant world” as the forms of the trees and especially the fruits, the leaves, the branches and the roots are impressively well preserved.

The diameter of the largest standing trunks exceeds 3 meters and their height 7 meters, while many lying trunks exceed 20 miters in length.

Excavations in the area brought to light the bones and a large complete jawbone with teeth of a dinotherium, a large trunked ancestor of today's elephant, which lived on the edges of a lake that once existed there 25 million years ago.

The region of the Petrified Forest is included in the "NATURA 2000 Network” which was created in 1999 within the institutional framework for the protection of natural regions of European Importance.

In Sigri there is a Museum dedicated to the forest which hosts some stunning examples of petrified wood. The Museum is open in summer (01/07-30/09) everyday from 09.00-19.00 and in winter (01/10-30/06) everyday from 09.00-17.00 except for Mondays. The Museum is closed on public holidays. The general entry fee is 5,00 euro.

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