Macedonia is Greece's largest historic region, in the north of the country. In antiquity it was the kingdom of Philip II and his son Alexander the Great; later a Roman province, the heart of the Byzantine Empire with Thessaloniki, and for almost five centuries Ottoman. It joined Greece in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, and after 1923 took in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Asia Minor and Pontus.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Thessaloniki | Greece's second city, with Byzantine monuments, seafront and excellent food |
| Vergina (Aigai) | The Macedonian royal tombs and underground museum, UNESCO |
| Pella | The capital where Alexander was born, with superb mosaics |
| Dion | Sacred city at the foot of Olympus, with sanctuaries among greenery |
| Mount Olympus | National park; trails to the summit start from Litochoro |
| Chalkidiki | Three peninsulas with pine forests and beaches: Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos |
| Mount Athos | The monks' republic, open only to men with a permit |
| Kavala | Seaside town with a Byzantine castle and Ottoman aqueduct; port for Thassos |
| Philippi | Ancient city where St Paul preached, UNESCO |
| Kastoria | Lakeside town with Byzantine churches and furriers' mansions |
| Prespa lakes | Border lakes with pelican colonies |
| Edessa | Small town famous for waterfalls in its centre |
| Naoussa | Xinomavro red wines and the Vermio ski resort |
The name Macedonia
For many years Greece and its former Yugoslav neighbour disputed the name "Macedonia". In 2018 the Prespa Agreement settled the dispute: the neighbouring country became North Macedonia, and Macedonia continues to denote the Greek region too.
Getting there
Thessaloniki has an international airport with direct flights from many European cities and is linked to Athens by fast trains (about four hours) and motorway. The Egnatia motorway crosses the region from Igoumenitsa to the Turkish border. Kavala has an airport for summer flights.