Chalkidiki
Halkidiki is a charming peninsula located in the
region of Central Macedonia, south of the city of Thessaloniki, the contours of
which resemble Poseidon’s trident as he, in turn, is divided into three small
peninsulas: Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos.
According to a legend, two Thracian giants Seaton
and Athos had been constantly engaging in strives for divinely beautiful mermaid
Pallini, thereby causing wrath of the ruler of depths of the Poseidon sea, who
threw his trident at the peninsula breaking it into three parts. Greeks often
call the parts as “fingers”.
Since then, the first “finger” was named after
beautiful Pallini and later (in IV BC) renamed as Kassandra Peninsula, in
honour of Macedonian king Cassander who founded the city of Kasandra in the
315/316 BC along with the city of Thessaloniki. In turn, the second and third
“fingers” were named, respectively, after some mythical heroes: Sithonia and
Athos who is known in Christianity as earthly destiny or Garden (Vertograd) of
the Blessed Virgin. There is an autonomous monastic state of the Holy Mount
Athos.
History and landmarks
The history of any Greek region is deeply rooted
in antiquity. Archaeologists discovered evidence of human presence in Halkidiki
dating back to more than 700,000 years. Today, there is incredibly beautiful
Petralona Cave, opened to everyone for viewing and showing a living site of
prehistoric man.
In the period of antiquity, residents of the
city of Chalkida founded their colony at the peninsula and this is where the
area received its name.
In addition, the birthplace of Aristotle (the
teacher of Alexander the Great) is based in the north-east of the peninsula. This
settlement is called Stagira. This is why the outstanding Greek philosopher
Aristotle is known as Aristotle Stagiritis.
In the era of Roman domination, the region came
to a decline; there are several preserved monuments maintained since that era,
but the excavations of a large Roman villa in Megali Kipsa (Sani) deserve
special attention.
In 50 AD, the Christian religion came to the
region of Halkidiki by the apostle Paul. The main attractions, related to the
Byzantine era, are the Basilica of St. Paul (1407) and St George (1543) in
Nikiti as well as the Church of St. Demetrius in Afitos, Church of St.
Panteleimon in Kallithea and many others.
Since IX century, the monastic republic of the
Holy Mount Athos begins to organise on the peninsula and becomes the world’s
largest centre of Orthodox monasticism. Today, Mount Athos has 20 male
monasteries (women are not allowed to enter Mount Athos).
In addition, Athos is on the list of World
Heritage Sites (UNESCO). Apart from that, despite the devastating attacks of
the Goths and Huns, as well as the Ottoman rule, the peninsula preserved numerous
unique monuments for those who want to explore its rich historical heritage.
Nature
Mild climate and virtually untouched nature make
Halkidiki one of the most popular destinations for both those who come to spend
holidays by the sea and those wishing to buy property in Greece.
The average summer temperature in Halkidiki
reaches 28°C and in winter it goes down to only 12C°. Magnificent sandy beaches
of the peninsula receive (annually) the Blue Flag, which is an international
award of the Foundation for Environmental Education.
Judged on its pristine landscapes, the peninsula
resembles a natural reserve. There are a lot of essential wetlands and areas that
are included in the European network Natura 2000. This is why many of its territories
are prohibited from construction.
Infrastructure
Permanent local population of the peninsula is
about 106,000 people.
In modern days, Halkidiki is an ideal place for
living and resting, both long and short term, with complete relaxation and tranquillity,
with comfort of a developed resort and municipal infrastructure of the European
level.
The peninsula has a well-developed
transportation; it is easy to navigate by car or bus running on a regular
schedule.
After renting a car, you can spend your weekends
in the mountains or take a boat trip to appreciate the beauty of the region
from the sea.
In addition, the city of Thessaloniki and its international
airport “Macedonia” are just 65 kilometres from Polygyros, which is the
administrative centre of the peninsula. It is stretching to the foot of Mount
Holomontas (1,165m), which is the second highest mountain in Halkidiki after
Athos (2,033 m).
The large supermarket chains, located on the
peninsula, will have everything you need to live and rest. Local markets also
offer organic food.
Halkidiki is renowned for its high-quality
products of local production. In particular, olives, olive oil, wine, honey,
fresh fish and seafood, which, consequently, promote gastronomic tourism to
this place: traditional picturesque taverns of the peninsula serve excellent
Greek culinary delights and Mediterranean cuisine. In addition, the peninsula
is also famous for its pastries and Greek sweets.
Entertainment
Thanks to its unique location, Halkidiki is washed
by sea from all sides. It is considered to be the Garden of Eden. Its every
corner is endowed with unique natural beauty ranging from fine coastlines and
stretching along turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea to lush vegetation of
virgin forests, exotic sandy beaches and fabulously shaped boulders reminiscent
of the ancient battles of Olympian gods with the Giants.
Not to mention the rich palette of natural colours,
especially at sunrise and sunset, and picturesque villages under the clear
azure sky which are erected in traditionally styled architecture. All this is
created against the backdrop of greenery and small idyllic coves. It is not by
accident that Halkidiki is considered one of the favourite destinations for
romantic getaways among extensively beautiful beaches and narrow streets
(sokakia) of the seaside and mountain resorts.
Sport fans can enjoy all kinds of water sports
including diving, surfing and sailing as well as rock climbing and mountain
biking. They can take one-day cruises and excursions, visit secluded corners of
the peninsula, small islands, lagoons, lakes and wetlands. Furthermore,
Halkidiki is famous for its geothermal springs (Loutra, Agia Paraskevi), which heals
many diseases.
In short, Halkidiki will not allow you to get
bored. There are great activities for everyone, including a variety of cafes,
beach bars, taverns and clubs, casinos and restaurants. Local festivals and
concerts will not allow you to be sad in the evenings.
