Greece: Buzzing from the rooftops: Athens’ urban apiarists
Inspired by major cities worldwide, the Greek capital has embraced beekeeping, with hives on balconies and in vacant lots too
By Vivi Konstantinidou
Ekathimerinin
16.03.2025
Excerpt:
From the rooftop of an apartment building in Ilioupoli, on the slopes of Mount Hymettus (Ymittos), you can see the whole of Athens from one end to the other. For bees, though, this sea of concrete is a vast garden brimming with flowers of every kind. From this very rooftop, amid clotheslines and solar water heaters, bees take off daily from the two hives placed there by beekeeper Nikos Chatzilias. They venture into gardens, courtyards, flower beds, median strips, vacant lots, nurseries, squares and parks – making stops on the rocky slopes of Hymettus for thyme – before returning to their hives to produce golden, fragrant, multi-floral honey, 100% urban and named after its place of origin, “Ilioupoli.”
These two rooftop hives are just a small part of the 120 colonies Chatzilias has scattered across various neighborhoods in Athens, each producing its own distinct honey: “Glyfada,” “Petralona,” “Vyronas,” “Zografou,” “Agia Varvara,” “Kifissia.” Last year alone, his urban beehives yielded 500 kilos of honey. This year, he aims to triple that to 1.5 tons, as more and more people – mainly young city dwellers – offer him their rooftops or balconies. Many of them, through word of mouth, are eager to host two or three hives, hoping to introduce their children to a bit of nature within the city or simply out of sheer curiosity.
Read the complete article here.
Source: https://cityfarmer.info/greece-buzzing-from-the-rooftops-athens-urban-apiarists/
