Vrilissos

Vrilissos was founded in January 2000 in Athens in the municipality of Vrilissia by a group of people with an innate love for nature and outdoor activities. From the first years of its activity, Vrilissos has been established as a citizens’ movement and acts as a large group of friends. The group’s activities, which have had a great impact over the years, are mainly the result of voluntary work and the desire for social contribution of its members.

Vrilissos is based in Vrilissia, at the foot of Penteli Mountain, from which the group’s name (Vrilissos according to Thucydides) was inspired by its founding members.

Its program contains a variety of routes, in terms of difficulty level, and is aimed at both beginners and more experienced hikers and climbers

The group’s vision includes, among others things, getting to know the Greek nature, the familiarization with outdoor activities, the development of a nature-loving spirit and the desire to discover cultural routes.

Some of the most important activities of the group are the following:

• excursions in the Greek nature (mountaineering, hiking, climbing, cycling, skiing, cultural routes)
• mountain camps
• Organizing training schools for climbing, winter mountain, canyoning under the supervision of professional mountaineering guides 
• Operation of a music department and a four-voice choir
• Organization of lectures and seminars concerning outdoor activities, sports and Greek nature
• Voluntary work in maintenance and cleaning of paths in cooperation with municipalities  and groups from all over Greece
• The organization of a fire safety team in the peri-urban forest of  Vrilissia and the Penteliko mountain in cooperation with the municipality of Vrilissia and ΣΠΑΠ
• urban farming 
• Cycling 

Throughout the 23 years of its activity, the group has carried out numerous excursions and climbs in Greece and abroad and has introduced outdoor sports to hundreds of people through training and offering expertise.

Furthermore, the group has offered significant voluntary work on Greek trails as well as voluntary actions in Penteliko mountain such as fire safety, tree planting, watering and tree care.

Particularly important is the recent cleaning and opening of the route from Davelis cave to Vrilissia by volunteers of the group. Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, this path has attracted attention and has become a destination for all Athenians.

The group’s annual program includes, in addition to the mountaineering excursions, important activities for the environment and culture, such as speeches, presentations, musical events in Vrilissia and the center of Athens.

More information is available on the group’s website http://www.vrilisos.gr/  – fb Vrilisos