Imathia

Region of Imathia

Endowed with incomparable natural beauty, long history and cultural heritage, the prefecture of Imathia is just an hour drive from the capital of Macedonia, Thessaloniki. With more than 2,500 years of history, its land is dotted with monuments of great archaeological interest, byzantine and post-byzantine churches and monasteries, and interesting museums with fine collections of artfacts. Here is Vergina (Aigai), a World Heritage Site by Unesco, the first capital of the Macedonian Kingdom and the place where Alexander the Great was crowned King. It is also the place where the ancient town of Mieza is located with the imposing Macedonian tombs as well as the prehistoric settlement of Nea Nikomedia which is the oldest in Europe. Here stands St. Paul’s Altar, a global monument of religious heritage, erected on the spot where St. Paul stood 2,000 years ago to preach Christianity to the people of Veria. 

Apart from the numerous archaeological and religious monuments, visitors have the opportunity to experience traditional districts and villages, beautiful parks and gardens, rivers, mountains and to taste the local cuisine and some of the most famous Greek wines. Imathia is home to two ski centers with various difficulty levels and to mountaineering fields addressed to mountaineers of all levels. The region offers great hiking and biking opportunities and is a perfect destination for horse riding and birdwatching with over 70 species of birds to have been counted in the wider area. Imathia is a year-round destination and discovering it, is definitely worthwhile.