There is a very particular reason why you should visit Grevena, northern Greece. Specifically, to learn all about mushrooms, mushroom picking, and mushroom tasting, as the city of Grevena is considered to be the “mushroom capital” of Greece. Once there, don’t be surprised by the many sculptural mushroom clusters that adorn its parks, squares, and nodes. Welcome to the first town on earth to have the unusual honour to be officially declared a “mushroom town”.

The region of Grevena has a long tradition in the collection, recording, and multifaceted promotion and utilization of wild mushrooms an eclectic product that grows in seasonal abundance in their forests, plains, and mountains. Throughout the prefecture more than 2,500 species of mushrooms have been recorded, over a third of the 7,000 species in Greece, and even though hundreds of them are edible, only ten varieties reach our tables. Mushrooms –and this is no exaggeration- are part of the local culture and have evolved into not only a vital product for Grevena but also of its local identity, attracting thousands of visitors all year round.

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photo credit gkonstantinidis