Parapotamio (riverside) Metropolitan Park covers an area of approximately 165,000 m2, located next to the Arachthos River, on the eastern end of the city, behind Krystalli Square (Central bus station).
The lake around which the Park was formed is artificial. It was created due to irrigation and electricity supply problems and supported by the creation of the Pournari barrage, which was built in 1975 to utilize the water resources of the river Arachthos. Thus, in 2000, the Public Power Corporation undertook to finance and design the lake and the lakeside Park as a place of rejuvenation and recreation. The Municipality of Arta later contributed to the project.
Today, the lake is a small ecosystem that has transformed a formerly unpleasing area on this side of the city. The Park’s location next to the river and around the lake acquires natural beauty enriched by the sunset’s colors and their reflections in the water. The various species that live in the lake (fishing is prohibited) along with the geese on its shores compose a lively wetland and a pleasant environment for walking and leisure.
In Paralimnio Park, you can meet various visitors from carefree groups or hikers, walkers, and cyclists, to children playing or feeding geese and the elderly taking a walk enjoying the serenity. There are also those accompanying their pet on their walk and others taking photographs of the lake and the river’s beautiful view.
Cultural events and ecological activities have taken place in the Park. For example, in 2013, the Park was the finish line of the cycling race, which took place before the seven-hour music event “”Urban Bike Music Festival.”” In 2017, the cultural association “”Skoufas,”” in collaboration with the Municipality of Arta, organized the celebration of Clean Monday and Koulouma (The customs of the Clean Monday outing are called koulouma) in the Park. Also, in Parapotamio Park, the music group “”Krotal Arta,”” a group of musicians that use percussion instruments exclusively, had held events, creating original and unique sounds.
In addition to the cultural events in the Park, in 2014, the nationwide voluntary organization “”Let’s do it Greece””, in collaboration with the Municipality of Arta and the department of the Red Cross in Arta, became active in order to clean Paralimnio Park. Since then, dozens of volunteers have gathered to clean the area.

Arta’s Parapotamio Park, although it can accommodate future infrastructure, has the specifications of a leisure park, like those found in cities around the world, where residents can escape for a while from the buzz and routine or even organize a variety of events. In this sense, it was named “Metropolitan”.