The forest of Lailia is the most important forest of Serres as well as the most important place of recreation of the area. It is located in the western part of Vrontous mountains, it consists mainly of pine and beech trees and covers an area of 33,000 hectares. The height of this mountainous area from the surface of the sea ranges from 700 meters to the peak of Ali Baba at an altitude of 1849 meters. The view from the top of the mountain will reward you the moment you lay your eyes on the colorful plain of Serres.
The name Lailia came either from the Turkish place name Yailas = Giailias, meaning resort or from the Greek mountain of Prophet Elias. Turkish traveler Evliya Celebi, who visited Lailia in 1668, said "... indeed, this mountain is a place with clean air, a true paradise that wins in every comparison". There are approximately 2.000 vacationers per year at the forest and to serve their needs, in the area there are around forty mosques, two bathhouses, a school, some inns and a court.
Geologically, the forest is part of the crystalline mass of the mountains of Rhodope and it is rich in gneiss, marble and slate. The age of the rocks dates back to Precambrian up until the Paleozoic era. The climate of the area is similar to the climate of Central Europe and therefore the forest of Lailia has a humid environment combined with cold winters.
The visitors will be impressed by the rich flora. The record shows 515 species, out of which 345 are herbaceous perennials, 44 are shrubs or short trees, 22 are taller trees and 104 are species that grow annually. Also, there are 21 varieties of plants and some of the flora of the forest is unique across Greece. In winter the forest of Lailia looks “untamed” with the snowy trees and the cold atmosphere. In spring however the forest is full of colors and the flowers bloom giving the place a magical atmosphere that will enchant your senses.
The fauna of Lailia includes many mammals such as: the hare (Lepus europaeus), the badger (Meles meles), the fox (Vulpes vulpes), the deer (Capreolus capreolus), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the Wildcat (Felis sylvestris), etc. There are also wolves and bears in the most inaccessible to man places of the forest. More than forty species of birds are present in the ecosystem of Lailia; the Sparrowhawk (accipiter nisus), the Pseftaidoni (Cettia cetti), the Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) etc. In the eastern and western sides of the forest there are various species of reptiles such as the elaphe quatuorlineata (Ela-Mpie guatuorlneata), the Prasinosafra (Lacerta viribis), the Valkanosafra (Pobarcis taurica), the Viper (Vipera ammodyts) etc. Amphibians such as the Prasinofrynos (Bufo viridis), the Chomatofrynos (Bufo bufo), Triton (Triturus cristatus) etc. live in wetter areas of the forest.
The beech and pine slopes of the peaks of Lailia (code GR 1260007 in the NATURA 2000 program), offer the possibilities of hunting, camping, winter sports, photography, painting, study of nature, climbing, mountain biking and hiking in trekking path E6. Almost in the center of Lailia you can find Sfagnonas Balta Tsair, a place of importance for the study of the history of the forest. Sfagnonas has been declared a "Natural Monument" and an area of "outstanding natural beauty". The area has tourist infrastructure.
Historical information found in Vrontous mountain show us that the area of Lailia has been inhabited since the early Neolithic period. Studies also proved that changes because of human intervention took place in 1200 BC., when the tribe of Siriopaiones settled in the area. This tribe (early Archaic period), supported the exploitation of minerals that existed in the forest region and the lumbering of fir trees to the point that that they affected the balance of the flora of the forest. The exploitation of the forest by the ancient inhabitants happened because they manufactured weapons, iron tools and probably silver jewelry.
In Lailia, at "Olympia", there is a wonderful resort offering services to hikers and visitors of the forest. It was founded in 1956 under the initiative of the Mountaineering Association of Serres. Also, since 1980 at "Katimeria”, there is the Chalet of the Alpine Club which, apart from offering high quality services to the thousands of vacationers, it also offers a 1,000 m. downhill slope, a Ski Lift of 900m. long and the possibility to climb on the top of Ali Baba at an 800 m. altitude. Lailia is ideal for extreme skiers because of the variety of ski tracks it offers. Also the track for the biathlon athletes is considered as one of the best in Greece.
One of the most picturesque trails of Lailia leads to a huge monolith, the rock of "Katinga". The Turks called the rock “Agi-Kagiasi”, which means the rock of the bear. From the top of this natural monument you can admire the beauty of the landscape. Legend has it that Katinga was a beautiful girl who was disappointed by her beloved who did not keep his promise and decided to end her life by falling into the void from the top rock. Another legend associated with the forest of Lailia comes from the travel memories of Evliya Celebi. According to this legend, the Persian Zal, the mythical Zarathustra, used to live there. According to Herodotus (V 12-6) Persians lived in the region of the plain of Serres twice. The first time period was between 513-512 BC when Megabazus, the General of Darius I, captured and transferred Siriopaiones tribe to the depths of Persia. The second time was after their defeat at Salamis in 480 BC (Herodotus VIII 115-16) when they wanted to regroup their forces.
The forest of Lailia is protected by laws of the Greek state and the European Directive 92/43 / E.O.K - Network Natura 2000 and every year there are popular events, mainly around the picturesque chapel of the Assumption.
