Visitors to the petrified prehistoric forest of western Lesvos will be able to enjoy a personal guided tour of the site using a palm-top computer or third-generation mobile telephone as of next month, local officials said yesterday.

The only one of its kind in Europe, the electronic tour-guide system allows the visitor to request information about specific sights using a palm-top PC or 3G-mobile that interacts with sensors placed around the forest. “Every visitor can enjoy his own individual tour, can look at what interests him and receive information on the gadget he is carrying,” local Natural History Museum director Nikos Zouros told Kathimerini.

The system will operate on a trial basis until the end of September, when it will be assessed, Zouros said. If all goes well, it will be launched properly next summer and may be extended to the volcanic islands of Santorini and Nisyros.