4. Acheron River, Greece
The Acheron is a river in northwest Greece, best known to many as one of the five rivers of the Greek underworld. The river was common throughout Greek mythology as well as in Dante’s Inferno. It is the fifth river (along with Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and Styx) in the underworld and also known as the “River of Woes,” and the “River of Pain.” Back in ancient times, people thought that because it flowed through dark gorges and went underground in several places, that it led to Hades.
In Greek mythology, it was a river in Hades, the river that the old ferryman Charon ferried the dead across from the land of the living to their new realm. Even now, the river is reputed to give access to hell. Known worldwide for its hellish origins in mythology, now the area in Epirus, Greece where the river springs is a place of outstanding natural beauty. Its crystal, blue-green waters meander through rich vegetation, forest slopes, and mountains until it reaches the Ionian Sea. Today, it is an ecosystem protected by the Natura 2000 Network, and in my opinion, looks more like a place to lay out all day than one to fear.
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