The historic capital of the municipality. It is the most traditional town of Chalkidiki, and has been designated by the Ministry of Culture as a “Historic Site”. It is built to a semicircular plan at the foot of Mount Holomontas, at an altitude of 600m, in a lush landscape with forests and flowing waters. In the past, it was called Larigkova or Liarigovi.
Across the city, you will find a large number of old traditional houses of significant architectural value, made of stone and wood, constructed by Arvanite and Epirote builders.
The city’s benchmark is its main square, the “bazaar” with the centuries-old sycamore tree – a trademark of the city, through which drinking water flows. Along the cobbled streets that start radially from the square, creating smaller squares and neighborhoods, you can admire the area’s rich traditional offerings.
Visit the colorful stone-built Giannoudenas Square, which accumulates the most notable examples of local architecture and the city’s two excellent museums, the Weaving museum and the Folklore museum, and get lost in the beauty of the past!
Walk along the Dimarcheio Square, which today houses a traditional stone-built school building of 1871, which then operated as the “City School of Liarigovi”. Visit the nearby Cathedral of Saint Stephanos, a three-aisled basilica with a belfry, dating from 1889. The beautiful square, which was the old village centre, the famous dance floor [chorostasi], is surrounded by renovated mansions.
Walking along the cobbled streets of the village, you will enjoy an atmosphere of times gone by. You will see the domed cruciform church of Saints Anargyroi, the imposing stone building of the primary school, while you can try organic honey, cheese, wine, moundovina, pastries, sweets and yoghurt. Arnea is a leading area in agricultural production!
