Saint Barbara’s Springs, Park in Drama, Greece

Saint Barbara's Springs is a park in the center of Drama, Greece, built around the springs of the Dramatitsa river. Two lakes were created here by Epirote craftsmen, and a shallow pool with a greenish stony bottom lies beside a low wooden footbridge. Tall trees stand near multi-story buildings with tiled roofs and a small white structure with a red roof.

The springs played a key role in the settlement of the area from early times, as water was essential for daily life and farming. The name of Drama is believed to come from the Greek word Hydrama, referring to the flow of water that has always run through the city.

Every year on December 4, children place small foam boats with lit candles on the water as part of the celebration of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of the city. The small lights drifting on the dark water draw families and visitors to gather around the spring.

The park is in the city center and easy to reach on foot from most parts of Drama. Comfortable shoes are a good idea, as the wooden footbridges near the water can be slippery at times.

The 17th-century Ottoman writer Evliya Çelebi described the springs. Vasil Kanchov, passing through Drama at the end of the 19th century, noted shady gardens, coffee houses and watermills between the springs, two of them built in the European manner, and vegetable gardens beyond. The springs gather into one channel and form the Drama Chai, the Dramatitsa River.