Nymfaio Village & Arcturos Sunctuary: Humans & predators meet again

Few would dispute Nymfaio’s place among Greece’s most beautiful villages. Its restored mansions—adorned with painted or carved wooden ceilings—line stone-paved lanes beneath iconic tin roofs, while elegant guesthouses sit amid a vast beech forest.

☼ Nymfaio is a traditional settlement designated by UNESCO as one of the ten most picturesque villages in Europe, making it visually striking and appealing to photographers and travelers alike.

☼ The Nikeios School, Nymfaio’s most iconic structure, houses the Brown Bear Information Center and its engaging exhibition.

☼ The village preserves traditional architecture and history (including a Museum of Gold and Silver-smithery, Folklore, and History) rooted in local heritage and the area’s past prosperity.

☼ Many visitors are drawn to its restored mansions, cafés, tavernas with local cuisine, and peaceful atmosphere. Nymfaio is increasingly popular for winter tourism (snowy landscapes and cozy guesthouses) and for summer walks, nature hikes, and local food experiences.

The Bear Conservation Area is a fenced enclosure where rescued bears will spend the rest of their lives, one kilometer south of the village of Nymfaion. Former captive bears live in a 5-acre fenced area that simulates a natural habitat. These fantastic creatures are trying to reintegrate into their natural environment, as they were removed from their mother before having the chance to learn basic survival skills.

The idea for Arcturos sanctuary took shape in 1992, when Yannis Boutaris ( a winemaker)—years before becoming mayor of Thessaloniki—imagined the refuge as a catalyst for Nymfaio’s revival.

Nymfaio is a traditional settlement designated by UNESCO as one of the ten most picturesque villages in Europe. The Nikeios School, Nymfaio’s most iconic structure, houses the Brown Bear Information Center and its engaging exhibition.

Coexistence Is Possible

Greece has changed dramatically in the twenty-three years since those early days, particularly for bears and wolves. In the early 1990s, both species teetered on the brink of extinction. Dancing bears persisted despite decades-old protective laws, and wolves were hunted with unmatched ferocity.

Then, barely 130 bears were believed to survive, and wolves had all but disappeared. Today, their return is unmistakable: roughly 1,000 wolves and 900 bears now range across Greece—a conservation success few could have imagined.

☼ The lynx has been absent from Greece for decades, though occasional reports near the country’s borders suggest its return may only be a matter of time. Meanwhile, bears have expanded their range as far south as the Peloponnese.

☼ At Nymfaio, twelve wolves live alongside eight jackals, five roe deer, five lynxes, a single red deer, and thirty Greek sheepdogs—a native breed raised by Arcturos and placed with livestock farmers. Acting as vital intermediaries between people and wildlife, these dogs protect herds and help deter both bears and wolves.
Even so, encounters with wild animals inside villages are becoming more frequent, raising concern, while reinforcing Arcturos’s central message: coexistence is possible.