There are two natural conditions that have been most attractive to travellers to Libya, the vast desert and its oases, and the Akhdar Mountains, which is Arabic for "Green Mountains". The name is just, and this is one of the very few areas which has for Westerners a pleasant summer climate. In ancient times, the Akhdar Mountains became the corn chamber for old Greek, therefore all the many Greek colonies here. During the Italian colonisation, it was a farming region, and this period has left many Italian style houses all around the mountain area. Modern Libya has been developing the agricultural potentials, particularly through the tremendous Great Manmade River, which poors large portions of its water into the farms of Akhdar Mountains. Despite this, the region has a fair amount of annual rainfall, 300 mm, which is a lot for a country like Libya. The scenery of this region comes as a great surprise to most visitors, few knew of this pearl before coming here. The nature shifts between soft and smooth mountain landscape, occasionally cut by a gorge or some wild rocks. Traditional Libyan architecture is easier to come across here, and few travellers would have problems filling at least one week of round trips here. Of important places to visit here, Cyrene, Apollonia, Tulmaytha, Slonta, and Derna springs immediately to mind.
