Values of Natural Environment and Cultural Landscape

Aesthetic Value
The Mastorochoria territory is an outstanding natural mosaic of high aesthetic that is representative of the Greek and Balkan mountains. The natural environment has great aesthetic value as an inspiration for the creation of works of art and as a source for different crafts. The works of painters and woodcarvers with rich floral and animal decoration is a characteristic example. The masterpieces of craftsmen of Mastorochoria are tangible evidence of this interrelation. The stone structures of the erected environment have become the landmarks of the Mastorochoria territory.

Historic Value
The qualitative tangible and intangible traits of the Mastorochoria cultural heritage tell the story of the irreplaceable cultural activity of a civilization that once developed and thrived under certain unique political, economic, historical, social and natural conditions. The interrelation of the natural environment and the cultural landscape and heritage reflects the transition from the pre-industrial to the industrial era in Greece.

Scientific Value
The territory is an open-air museum for the public but also an experimental ensemble for observation for wide range of natural scientists. The territory is an outstanding ensemble of diverse flora and fauna. The local knowledge that the cultural landscape exudes reflects a way of thinking and living in and with nature at all stages of human development.

Social Value
The territory has profound social value for the harmonious interaction between humans and the natural environment as a formula for people’s welfare. The current and prospective, direct and indirect use of natural resources is a guarantee for long-term social well-being. Biological diversity has contributed to the formation of the social patterns of living in nature and within nature. The natural environment influences and defines indirectly the mentality of the inhabitants of the territory. The well-preserved mountainous cultural landscape and architecture constitutes a fundamental link in the chain of socioeconomic and artistic development of Mastorochoria. The harmonious coexistence of the natural environment and cultural landscape and heritage uniquely commemorates the creative and innovative spirit of craftsmen. The cultural tangible and intangible rudiments are the key witnesses of the direct and indirect multicultural coexistence. The Mountains and the Rivers became the symbols of unity as places of cultural dialogue between different societies in local and supra-local level.

Economic Value
The generous biological and genetic prosperity in combination with innovative agricultural technologies create a promising framework for the cultivation of several ‘dietary’ plants in an organic and sustainable way, which contributes to smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. The indirect use of the territory is an indispensable component of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Hence, it provides a prerequisite for future measures in terms of economic growth. The unexplored encoded information in the various components of cultural heritage has generates value for fund.

Ecological Value
The pristine natural areas with their abundant and varied flora and fauna aref exceptional ecological value. The intact natural sites close to the settlements reflect the strong ties between human and nature, which fostered deep ecological awareness and a profound interrelation. The ‘young’ forests are of particular ecological value as a unique and rare hybrid that was created exclusively by the seminal contribution of both human and nature.