Greece - Korina Miller [213]
Today, with the grand Egnatia Odos Hwy spanning the region completed, northern Greece is also getting easier – and quicker – to navigate. It’s also becoming a pretty happening place. Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, offers outstanding eateries, nightlife and culture, while Epirot university town Ioannina is a lively spot close to the magnificent Pindos Mountains. Even fairly provincial Thracian cities such as Xanthi, Komotini and Alexandroupoli offer a piece of the action. And northern Greece even boasts great beaches – both for those seeking summer nightlife and for others seeking more secluded spots.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Urban Explorations Perusing the pretty upper town of Thessaloniki – Roman ruins, Byzantine churches and chic cafes
Liquid Refreshment Indulging your inner connoisseur at a premium Macedonian winery Click here
Med Magic Soaking up the sun at Italian-influenced Parga, on the Epirot Riviera
Divine Quest Ascending into the clouds atop Mt Olympus, ancient hang-out of Zeus and Co
Ottoman Flavours Sampling Turkish sweets while visiting the mosques and museums of earthy Komotini, in Thrace
Timeless Treasures Breathing in the fresh mountain air amid the stone-and-slate villages of Zagorohoria, up in Epiros’ Pindos Mountains
Beach Safari Camping in the remote sandy coves and islets of Halkidiki
POPULATION: 3.12 MILLION
AREA: 19,117 SQ KM
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MACEDONIA ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ
pop 2.4 million / area 33,785 sq km
Although for many foreigners the only thing that comes to mind with the word Macedonia (mah-keh-dho-nee-ah) is that boyish bygone conqueror, Alexander the Great, Greece’s biggest province has much more to it. Yes, the capital of ancient Macedon at Pella and the gold-studded royal tombs of Vergina are definitely must-see attractions, but travellers will also want to check out Thessaloniki, Greece’s sophisticated (and arguably, its coolest) second city, which boasts great eating, drinking and nightlife, the Halkidiki Peninsula’s beaches, and forested Mt Olympus – home of the ancient gods and Greece’s highest peak (2918m).
Divine Dionysian pleasures also await at Macedonia’s renowned wineries, which offer tasting tours and some of Greece’s best wines. The whole sprawling region combines plains, gentle lakes and forested mountains, creating unique microclimates and a rich soil abundant in wheat, sweet red peppers and ancient artefacts, too.
Indeed, Macedonia offers numerous off-the-beaten-track opportunities. In the northwest, brown bears amble through mountains that descend to the placid Prespa Lakes, home to pelicans, cormorants and serene medieval churches. Eastern Macedonian attractions include the palm-lined port of Kavala, crowned by a castle, and the isolated Byzantine-era monasteries of Mt Athos, set in tranquil wilderness on the third finger of the Halkidiki Peninsula.
History
Although human settlement in Macedonia goes back at least 700,000 years, it’s best known for the powerful ancient Macedonian civilization that peaked with Alexander the Great (d 323 BC), whose conquests reached as far as India. Deemed barbarians by cultivated Athenians, the Macedonians had subjugated Greece under Alexander’s father, Philip II, yet adopted Greek mores. Alexander and his generals spread the Greek culture and language widely, creating a Hellenistic society that would be absorbed by the Romans. Later, after the empire split into eastern and western halves in the 4th century AD, the society emerged as the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire.
Thessaloniki became Byzantium’s second city, a vital commercial, cultural and strategic centre on the crossroads of Balkan trade routes. However, 6th- and 7th-century-AD Slavic migrations brought new populations, and challenges for the empire, which was frequently at war with the medieval Bulgarian kingdom from the 9th century to the 11th century. In 1018, Emperor Basil II finally defeated Bulgarian Tsar Samuel, who