Community of Anavra
The Community of Anavra, formerly called Goura, is a mountainous community of Prefecture of Magnesia on the west side of Mount Othrys, at an altitude of 1000m. It is located at a distance of 80 km from Volos and 40 km from Almyros and Lamia. It is a separate Community and is bordered by the Municipality of Almyros from the part of Magnesia, by the Municipality of Domokos from the part of Prefecture of Fthiotida and by the Municipality of Nathraki from the part of Prefecture of Larisa. The Community covers an area of 121,9 km2. The region of Anavra is verdant and has a lot of running waters. The springs of Enipeas are located near Anavra. The Community of Anavra was excluded from the application of “Kapodistrias Law” concerning the joining of Greek Municipalities and Communities, as it meets all the necessary requirements (distance from urban centers, uniformity of geologic relief, population, residents’ employment etc.)
Anavra has 700 permanent residents, who are 100% occupied with the breeding of free range livestock (cows, sheep, pigs). This is the most important reason why Anavra is a model Community for Greek reality. It presents a 0% unemployment rate; it has a lot of new households, while there are 80 modern farm installations in 3 farm parks near the village. Moreover, in the village there is an elementary school with 30 students and a kindergarten with 10 children. The residents are exclusively occupied with biological farming, with 12.000 sheep and goats, 6.000 cows and 5.000 pigs that graze freely on the mountains. Its delicious meat is well-known all over Greece.
Anavra has become a model farm settlement. It is the first community in Greece that covers completely its energy demands using renewable energy sources. Moreover, the standard of living is among the highest in Greece and it is one of the few mountainous, agricultural villages in the country with an increasing population rate.
During the last years (from 1990 until today), the settlement of Anavra has been developed, many works have been realized and there has been a rapid growth. Apart from infrastructure works, there have been a lot of innovative development works, such as the Wind Park “Alogorachi” with 17 wind generators, the Environmental and Cultural Park at “ the Anavra Springs“, which covers an area of 60 acres, along the river Enipeas, a location of unique beauty.
The visitors of Anavra enjoy the beautiful route to the village and the natural environment of the spring park with the watermills, they visit the old churches of the 8th century, the Community’s Folk Art Museum, the Wind Park on the mountain and they taste the delicious local biological meat.