Visit us also during the winter, since the area is a complete winter destination: exploring tours, horseback riding, apiculture lessons, collecting mushrooms from the mountains, and fruits from the forest trees of Holomontas and Aristotelian Mountains, nature excursions, Christmas and New Year’s Eve galas, and staying in Macedonian inns are only a few of the things one can experience around the mountains.
Agrotourism around the area is developing very fast and now there are twenty (20) Macedonian hostels that have around six hundred (600) beds. Wander around the paved alleys, and do not miss the chance to watch the celebrations organized by the locals to honor earth and nature: celebrations of tsipouro, wine, honey, pine-tree, sardine and mussel. All have a common characteristic: they come from a far away time and tradition.
Women in villages organize cooperatives or traditional shops, which produce pure delicatessen and biological products, when in the folklore museums of Arnea, Ammouliani, Stratoni and Stratoniki, you will see popular art carvings, unique in perfection and handcrafted detail, attending also lessons of weaving art from the famous weavers.
What would you do? So many things!
You will walk on the routes of the Aristotelian Mountain, of Holomontas, Ouranoupoli, and other places. But if you prefer to rent a bike, then you will enjoy it more, since you will wander around beautiful landscapes between the mountain and the sea!
You will visit traditional settlements villages, walking on cobbled alleys, traveling to the past, and visiting the folklore museums of Arnea, you will end to lots of traditional guesthouses which are open during the winter waiting for you!
You will be guided in pilgrims (outside the borders of Mount Athos) monuments following the routes above:
1. The Early Christian Basilica of Zepko between Olympiada and Stratoni
2. The Early Christian Basilica to the Castle Ierissos
3. The Holy Monastery of Saint Kosmas the Aetolian in Arnea
4. The Holy Monastery of Annunciation in Olympiada
5. Zigou Monastery only a few meters away from the land borders of Mount Athos in Ouranoupoli
6. Virgin Spilaiotissa to Stageira
7. The Pammegiston Taxiarcon Paleochori
8. Saint Nikolaos of the Mountain to Stratoni
9. The Byzantine Tower of Gomati
10. The Monastic Point «Chara Ton Thlivomenon» to Paleochori
11. The Holy Metropolitan Church of Saint Stephan to Arnea
12. Tower Prosforiou to Ouranoupoli
13. He Sacred Pilgrimage of Virgin Mary to Megali Panagia
14. The Metochi of Hilandari between Stratoni and Ierissos
Men of course can visit Mount Athos with its 20 monasteries, sketes, cells, the treasures, the libraries…..
You will drink wine and tsipouro of unique quality to our wineries, in Arnea, Megali Panagia, Ierissos and Mount Athos. Right after you can visit our traditional cheese factories, collect olives to the fruitful olive groves, or watch the procedure of honey production! Get real, pure, organic products and feel the difference!
Enjoy dining and taste flavours from our great culinary variety to mountains or sea areas.
Celebrate to dozens folk festivals and feasts!
Visit Ancient Stageira (the city that gave birth to the greatest philosopher of Greek history, Aristoteles) and our other historical monuments/museums as well!
Do you still doubt that it is a worthy experience?
You don’t want to miss it!
