Anavra (Ανάβρα - 780 m asl, pop 1,000) is a mountain village and municipality on the slopes of mount Othrys, in the middle of peninsular Greece, in Magnesia prefecture near Almyros. (Map). What is so special about it? Occupied by the descendants of nomadic Sarakatsani , it enjoys 0% unemployment at a time of crisis and reactionary IMF-imposed austerity in Greece, and one of the few mountain villages where the population is steadily growing. It produces its own renewable energy with the highest Wind farm in Greece (at 1600 mt) at Alogorahi (“Horse’s Ridge”). It has a latest technology - certified Municipal Slaughter House (which sounds a bit scary but at least the meat is organic and free range although at the detriment of mountain vegetation), some 15,000 goats and sheep and an equal number of cows and swines. Also, a municipal Museum of Stockraising (no suprise there), a municipal (free) elementary school and kindergarden, many springs, old fountains, water mills, byzantine churches, climbing ranges, and a “Natural & Cultural” Park where if you are lucky (or drunk) you may still see elderly women washing clothes the old way in the "dristela" or "nerotrivi". The village architecture is not as spectacular as it would have been, had the village not being burned down by the occupiers during the WW2, again during the civil war, and seriously shaken by two earthquakes. Still, the rule in mainland Greece is that the higher you go the more authenticity you find, and you will find plenty of it here.

Unfortunately the municipality is now going to be merged with a far afield municipality under a totally misguided and controversial national reorganization plan which reduces basic administration units to just over 300 (down from 900) creating havoc and unemployment. So, before things go belly up, you must visit - maybe during the annual festival of Haghios Panteleimonas  (July 27-28) . There is no hotel (try Almyros or Lamia 40 km away), so you can be confident that you are off the beaten track! 

And yes, there is even an official website in English, where you can find more details: http://www.anavra-goura.gr/enIndex.php

The park is at http://www.gourapark.gr/index_en.php