A project for the refurbishment and return to use of a historic footpath has been completed and handed over to the municipality of Platanias. With a budget of €95,000, the work related to a section of the path which for centuries connected the province of Selino with the city of Chania.
The historic path was known as the “Royal Way” or the “Wayfarers’ Path” and is thought to have been constructed in the Venetian period. The refurbished section is 4,950 metres long, with a hiking time of 2 hours and classified as of low difficulty. Entrance is from the village of Prases in the municipality of Platanias, starting at the point known as Vatali at an altitude of 950 metres and finishing at the hamlet of Chosti.
The path crosses an area of considerable natural importance on the edge of the Natura 2000 Special Protection Area (SPA) GR4340008, named “Lefka Ori and Coastal Zone”.
The renovation work revealed stone-paved sections of the path which had been covered with soil and vegetation. Stabilising and infilling of the retaining wall were carried out where required, using local materials and the same type of construction as the original. Recreational equipment, footpath signage and information boards about the area were also installed.
The work was carried out under archaeological supervision, since the need for some excavation work had been foreseen. There was also an agreement between the Environment ministry and the General Forestry Directorate, since a part of the path is in an area classified as forest and so the work was carried out with the guidance of the Chania Forestry Department.
The project had been incorporated by the municipality of Platanias in the programme “Rural Development for Greece 2014-2020” under the LEADER CLLD (Community-Led Local Development) method, and jointly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Greek state.