ATHENS, Greece: From a rooftop overlooking Athens, beekeeper Nikos Chatzilias tends to colonies that thrive amid the hum of the city below. He is one of dozens of Athenians turning to urban beekeeping — a growing movement to bolster local ecosystems, reconnect with nature, and harvest honey uniquely flavored by the city’s diverse flora.

At 37, Chatzilias wasn’t always a beekeeper. A lifelong honey lover who used it daily in place of sugar, he grew dissatisfied with store-bought products and decided to make his own. In 2020, he enrolled in beekeeping classes and soon turned his new passion into a profession. “The hives thrived, and the daily contact with the bees brought us joy,” he said. “That’s why we kept going.”

This summer, he managed 30 hives spread across seven rooftops, one with sweeping views of the Parthenon. His 1.2 million bees produced about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of honey, each batch labeled after the neighborhood where it was made. The flavor, he explained, shifts from area to area, influenced by the mix of eucalyptus, acacia, bitter orange, and even pine trees along the southern coast that lend a forest-like aroma.

Urban beekeeping isn’t entirely new to Athens. Decades ago, families migrating from the countryside brought their hives with them. But today’s generation, Chatzilias said, approaches it with deeper environmental awareness. “It’s a way to reconnect with what remains of nature in the city,” he noted.

One of his recent recruits, Aggelina Chatzistavrou, discovered her fascination with bees as a university student. From her rooftop overlooking the Acropolis, she now tends her own hives. “If everyone had one in their home’s open space, it would change our environment in a big way,” she said.

Still, not everyone in the city embraces the idea. Many aspiring beekeepers face pushback from neighbors wary of stings or allergic reactions. “People say, ‘What if they sting my child or my dog?'” Chatzilias said. “City dwellers have been cut off from nature for so long that even something natural can provoke fear.”

Despite such challenges, Athens offers an unusually bee-friendly environment. The city’s year-round cycle of blooming plants provides continuous nourishment, and Chatzilias is experimenting with leaving his hives on rooftops through the winter for the first time.

“Even in a chaotic urban setting,” he said, looking over the city skyline, “nature — whatever remains of it — still responds. It still gives life.”