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Pelion is actually a large mountainous peninsula in central Greece.
Greece » Greece Mainland

Why Visit
Dotted with traditional villages and exotic beaches, Pelion Greece is a favorite family destination for all seasons of the year. Makrinitsa, Portaria, Milies, Vizitsa and Tsagarada are among the most traditional villages, with elegant houses and grey stone roofs. The high location of these villages gives nice view to the sea.

Along the coastline of Pelion Greece, there are lovely seaside places to enjoy summer holidays, such as Agios Ioannis, Horefto, Platanias and Milina. Sightseeing is few there and includes mostly traditional churches. Of great interest is the church of Taxiaxhes in Milies.

History
According to the ancient Greek mythology, Mount Pelion took its name from the mythical king Peleus, father of Achilles, and it was the homeland of Centaurs, the mythical creatures half-men and half-horse. In fact, it was the centaur Chiron who became the tutor and guardian of Jason until he grew up. Pelion is also the region where the Olympian gods had chosen for their summer holidays.

Just a few km from Volos is Sesklo, an area where many archaeological excavations took place. The remains that were discovered there belong to a well-organized settlement. Walls, houses and tombs from the 7th century BC and other remains from the middle and the modern Neolithic era. From 2,500 to 1,200 BC, there was a settlement where the town of Volos is located today. This settlement was Iolcos, the homeland of Jason, and had an important port. Southwest, there was another maritime town, Alos, close to the present-day town of Almyros. At the beginning of the historical period, Iolcos started to decline. The port of Alos, important during the Persian wars, also lost its importance in the 4th century BC. After Philip V of Macedonia, the port of Pyrasus became the commercial centre of the region.

In 293 BC, king Demetrius Poliorcetes founded a new town, Demetriada. This town flourished in the Roman times but it was just an unimportant provincial town during the Byzantine Empire.

All through the history of Pelion, it was constantly invaded by foreign nations, such as the Goths (in 396 AD) and the Huns (in 539-540 AD). To protect the area, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian fortified the towns of Thessaly. At the same time, the Byzantine Castle of Volos was constructed on the ruins of the ancient town of Iolcos. In the Medieval times, Pelion also accepted pirate raids from the sea, which is why many villages are constructed on hill slopes with view to the sea and most mansions of Pelion had a fortifying architecture. After the occupation of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204, the Venetians occupied the region of Pelion. In 1393, Pelion went under the Turkish occupation. During the years of the Greek Revolution, the famous clergyman and scholar Anthimos Gazis tried to raise the national spirit of Pelion and lead it to independence.

Pelion declared its participation to the Greek Revolution under captain Kyriakos Basdekis, on the 7th of May 1821. But the Turkish army stopped the evolutionary movement of Pelion in blood. A second attempt of liberation was stopped again in March 1854. Pelion eventually won its independence in 1881, when the entire Thessaly was integrated to the Greek State.

Museums - Archeological
Pelion is a region with original character and interesting history. There are many folklore museums to visit in the villages of Pelion that show the special ways of life in this region. Very interesting is the Folklore Museum in Makrinitsa, housed in an elegant 19th century mansion. In the centre of Milies, visitors can see the Municipal Library that also works as a museum. On the top floor, this library houses many rare book from the 17th century, flags, portraits of important figures and traditional costumes.

In Zagora, a village of eastern Pelion, there is the Greek Museum (Ellinomouseio). This name was given to the old school where Rigas Valestinlis Fereos studied, an important figure of the pre-revolutionary times in Greece. This building, also known as the School of Rigas, was also the school of other famous heroic Greeks, like Anthimos Gazis, Grigoris Konstantas and Kallinikos Lapatis. Near the school, visitors can find the famous library of Zagora which has more than 15,000 old books and manuscripts

Beaches
Agios Ioannis, Mylopotamos, Papa Nero, Horefto, Fakistra, Damouchari, Mourtia, Platanias, Potistika

Religious Monasteries and Churches
The entire town of Pelion is an inexhaustible treasure of religious monuments, legends and cultural tradition, ideal for the nature and history lovers. Several churches and monasteries are spread throughout the green villages and the picturesque settlements which are worth admiring for their unique icons, architecture and the frescoes made by famous painters.

Among the worth seeing churches in Pelion is the church of Agia Marina located in Kissos village. The beautiful basilica stands in the middle of the square, where architecture is in perfect harmony with the surrounding beauty. The church hosts two small museums on both sides.

In the heart of the scenic village of Milies sits the church of Pamegistoi Taxiarchon. It was founded in 1741 without a bell tower and its wonderful frescoes can be seen from the its entrance. It is strongly connected with the Greek revolution. The church has great acoustics and in 2000 a choral festival was held with ecclesiastical works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

East of Agios Lavrentios village, in one of the most enchanting areas rises the Monastery of Agios Lavrentios. It was founded in the 14th century by a monk whose name the monastery carries. In close distance you will find the churches of Agios Athanasios, Agiso Apostolos and Agios Dimitrios.

North of Fakistra beach, the jewel of Pelion lies the historical cave of Panagia Megalomata covered with stalagmites. There is also found a picturesque chapel that is worth a visit. Under the old plane trees, in the middle of Makrinitsa square lies the church of Agios Ioannis. Close by, in the shadow of the huge rocks, sits the holy monastery of Agios Gerasimos.The monk, whose name the monastery carries built his cell and lived there until his death in 1740. The monastic community decided to build a church in his memory which later became a female monastery which is active to this day.