'' THE SIX FOUNTAINS'' NATURE TRAIL IN ARSOS.

On the western fringes of the village of Arsos, on a relatively steep slope, there is a narrow valley with a stream in which plentiful water runs all the year round, and which is a tributary of Diarizos.

In older times, when the village used to throb with life (until the 1960's) this river watered the small orchards of the inhabitants of the village. Along the river, tens of basket makers used to dig ''kolymbous'' (smalls dams) for the ''liathkia'' (reeds) they used for making the baskets. With the rural exodus, only a few orchards are maintained and wild vegetation (especially brambles) has covered its riverbed.

It has a rich flora, such as plane trees, willows, poplars, walnut-trees, and willows (41 species in total). As regards the fauna, soft water crabs, frogs, foxes etc., endemic and migratory birds, rare species of butterflies and insects have been preserved.

Along the river and at a distance of about 800 meters, six medieval fountains are built. These fountains played an important role for the inhabitants of the village at times when there was no running water in the houses.

They were a source of life for water supply and irrigation purposes. Even at times of high draught, plentiful water run from it. References to the big draughts of the 19th century talk about shepherds who brought their flocks to the area from remote villages to save them from the water famine.

The Development Association and the Arsos Community Council with the help of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Forest Department, have cleaned the riverbed and built a pathway that links the six fountains. Furthermore, they have enhanced the sites of the ''Ossa Arkadji'' and '' Pano Vrissi'' fountains. The '' To Poullin'' fountain will also be enhanced soon.

The extension of the pathway until the Trozena wooden bridge, at a distance of 2 kilometres, is also under study. It is a unique biotope both as regards the natural beauty (dams, waterfalls, springs) and the fauna and flora.

The six fountains are:

VRISSI TON ATHKION
It took its name from the willows (athkies) which grow all around it. It is at the beginning of the pathway, on the Arsos-Agios Nicolaos main road. Next to the fountain there is a stone bridge which must be saved from the widening of the main road. The enhancement of the site is planned in the future. This fountain was a stop for the passers-by, the mule-drivers, the carters the shepherds etc.

''OSS ARKADJIN'' FOUNTAIN
It is a medieval fountain that used to water the orchards of the area in the past. Next to the fountain there is the Byzantine monastery of Panayia Katholiki. One of the two springs is the ''Holy Water'' of the Virgin. When the weddings were a common phenomenon in the village, people used to wash the wheal (ressi) to the sound of a violin and a lute and afterwards they ground it at the adjacent stone olive-mill.

PANO VRISSI
It is a building of a remarkable medieval architecture with a vault. It is linked to the village by a beautiful cobbled pathway and leads to the Nature Trail by a wooden staircase.
Here, the women of the village used to wash the linen with clean soot until the beginning of the 1950's.They also took drinkable water from it.

KOSTENA
A medieval fountain similar to the one above, which was unfortunately destroyed at the beginning of the 1970's to become a water tank. Today, only its foundations remain. It was used for washing the linen. It has plentiful cold water. Our objective is to restore it.

KOUPAS
This is a small source with basins. Next to the rock where it stands, there are stalactites. It was mainly used to water animals.

TO POULIN
This ancient fountain has two arches and plentiful cold water. Old inhabitants of the village remember the blazon wich represented an eagle with closed wings (the blazon of the Ptolemy - Arsinoe) which is no longer there.

All the fountains are linked to the village by a separate path.