The Lasithi Plateau in eastern Crete, Greece, is situated 800 meters above sea level. Despite the high altitude, the water table here is extremely shallow —so shallow that the dead can’t be buried, instead they are placed in stone mausoleums above ground. The easy access to water and the fertile soil has attracted inhabitants since Neolithic times. Dozens of villages now lie scattered around the oval-shaped plateau, surrounded by mountains. This 11 km by 6 km plain is covered with fields of grain and plots of vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, beans and onions, which are irrigated by means of thousands of windmills with white sails.

Photo credit: Europa Nostra/Flickr