When it comes to historic sites around Athens most people think about the antique years but the truth is that there's more relics from the second world war than even locals can imagine, both in and around Athens. It's not such a big surprise though if you look at the map. The location and the length of the coastline makes it obvious and the current war in Ukraine makes them look less unrelated to the present.
Wanna follow me as I visit some of them for the first time? Let's go!
Saronida is one of the most famous summer destinations near Athens, no surprise as it's got a lovely beach but during WWII years the latter was rather a strategic point than an attraction for vacations. At the small peninsula that forms at the South end of the beach one can find 3 pillboxes plus a room for soldiers. I managed to picture only one of them:
At the rest I found groups of gypsies with a barking dog so picturing was not exactly an option 馃檪. As you can see the once above is almost covered by dirt and gravel to the point you can't even see what's inside needless to say enter it.
I had much better luck in the absence of humanity a few km later at the town of Palea Fokea. Again by the sea near the local beach hence for the exact same reasons back in the day they built 2 pillboxes and one underground room. Let's see the first pillbox:
The local stones with some concrete and pieces of iron did the job. Though the first two ones stood the test of time, iron unsurprisingly didn't in such a corrosive environment next to the sea:
Pathetic as usual they way people trash places like these:
It literally smelled like shit so I didn't go all the way in.
I move a bit deeper in the mainland to the village of Feriza. The local hill was characterised as a top strategic point back in the day hence I expect to see lots of fortifications up there but first I have to hike all the way up:
As you can see the place has suffered from recent wildfires and it's sad to see all those burnt pine trees:
Somehow they look to me like paused dancers at a macabre musical...
Begs the question how come this too smooth and well rounded stone to be found at a place like this without any river around. Was the place flooded by sea donkeys years ago? Could be:
I said something about paused dancers...
Or screaming statues? Your call.
Finally made it to the top - what a view!
Here's the first piece I find:
韦his Italian artillery used to have five gun spots up there in 1943 and this one was probably one of the defence spots for the artillery's protection:
At a great source of info for such stuff which is fortifications.gr they say that their guns were 105mm/28 (I'm no expert on that but some of you might be and wonder what was up there).
Every spot connects to another by trenches as usually - today they're mostly covered by vegetation of course:
Here's a spot for a gun, you can see part of its base in the center of that circular construction:
The trench connects it to a bunker:
With so many trenches around you can paraphrase the song "One trench leads to another, too late to run for cover". Next one leads to another gun spot:
This one as you can see has a much more preserved base in the center:
Looking down I see something looking like a bunker behind those burnt trees:
Yes, it must be a pillbox with a nice view:
Again for the expert ones, according to fortifications.gr this must be a Tobruk type pillbox, I don't have enough experience on them to confirm it or not. Here's the entrance:
Rust never sleeps and this piece of iron couldn't be an exception hence that whole piece of concrete is gone as well:
Wanna have a look inside? Yes you do:
Let's have a look around it as well:
Those still trees keep posing for me unintentionally:
One trench leads to another:
And following them I come to the next gun spot:
That post has this underground passage attached to it:
Following the trenches I meet the next post with a well preserved base in the center:
An underground passage attached to it as well:
Next to it I take this picture which could have had inspired Mark Lanegan for naming his band:
A few meters away I find one more defence spot:
Except a few houses the view those guys had back in the day hasn't changed too much but now the smoke you see is from civilian activity and not a martial one like during WWII:
More burnt trees behind me:
The view of that hill is lovely though:
This piece tells me that some guys came with a chainsaw up here to pick firewood but probably had no space for it:
It seems that also for me there's no space to upload more pictures so I am afraid it's time to say goodbye here.
Hope you enjoyed reading, see you very soon as there's more URBEX stuff coming up, not war related 馃檪