HISTORY
During the liberation struggles of the Greeks against Ottoman rule in the 19th century, the gorge was of great strategic importance: it served as a hiding place and base for rebels and, despite repeated attempts, could never be taken.
During the Second World War and the occupation of the island of Crete by the German Wehrmacht at the end of May 1941, the Greek government, consisting of King George II and Prime Minister Emmanouil Tsouderos, fled through the gorge to the south coast and from there to Egypt with British help. Even the German occupiers did not succeed in tracking down the partisans and refugees who had retreated into the gorge, even if there were isolated confrontations; the rugged gorge is too inaccessible and impassable.
The Samaria Gorge was declared a national park by royal decree in 1962 and has been uninhabited since 1965. The few inhabitants of the eponymous village of Samariá, a small logging settlement in the middle of the gorge, were dispossessed and resettled. The name of the village is derived from the Greek word Samári (σαμάρι, "saddle (frame) for pack animals"), which indicates that in the past the animals in the village were usually re-saddled, i.e. exchanged. In 1980, Greece received an award from the Council of Europe for its efforts in the gorge.
According to the traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church, there are around ten chapels in various states of preservation along the Samaria Gorge. (WIKIPEDIA)
LOG CONDITIONS:
Just take a nice photo of the bridge with the village in the background that shows your geocache name. You have already fulfilled everything and you can log the virtual cache. Enjoy the hike through the gorge. Is a dreamy place.
