Tousist Attractions in Central Macedonia Part 1

Macedonia is located in northern Greece and it includes the prefectures: Chalkidiki, Drama , Florina, Grevena, Imathia, Kastoria, Kavala, Kilkis, Kozani, Pella, Pieria, Serres and Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki, often referred to internationally as Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the most important centre of the area. Built near the sea, it is a modern metropolis bearing the marks of its stormy history and its cosmopolitan character, which give it a special beauty and charm. Someone who visits Thessaloniki for the first time has to make sure to visit at least the following sites:

-The Byzantine churches

-The White Tower (15th century), the hallmark of the city.

-The Old City (Ano Polis), in which many notable examples of Ottoman and traditional Macedonian architecture still stand, alongside humble dwellings of the refugees who reached Thessaloniki, after the Greek defeat in Asia Minor, in 1922.

- The Museums (the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Byzantine Culture, the Folk and Ethnographic Museum, the State Museum of Contemporary Art, the Thessaloniki Cinema Museum, the Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum and many more.)

Veria: Veria belongs to the prefecture of Imathia. Here there are many museums and among them the Archaeological Museum of Veria which is one of the most important archaeological museums in Macedonia. It houses and exhibits findings from Imathia Prefecture, dated on Hellenistic and Roman era. Unfortunately the Museum building is small and can not include other findings, dated even since pre-historic and iron ages, which are kept in store rooms. The garden of the Museum is full of marble findings, like grave stelae, altars and inscriptions. 

The "Step" of Apostle Paul: This is the place where St. Paul, the Apostle preached during his 2 visits in Veria, around 50-51 AD and 57 AD. The site is a shrine of World Christianity. Every year, on June, a religious and cultural festival is organized, named "Pavlia". 

The Byzantine Museum: This building was constructed in 1908-1911 and was a water powered cylindrical flour mill. It was working until 1960 and then abandoned. In 1981 it was on fire and only the external walls were saved. Recently renovated, it is now the Byzantine Museum of Veria.

Alexandros Panagiotidis, Spyridoula Giagkou, Katerina Iossifidou