Veria, the town
At the eastern foothills of the mountain Vermio, 13km from Vergina and surrounded by the river Aliakmonas, you will find the town of Veria, the capital of Imathia County!
If you are a history lover, Veria is the ideal place for you! You will have the opportunity to admire the 8.000 year old remains of the oldest Neolithic settlement of Europe! This place, in the heart of Macedonia, has raised historic figures, such as the father of Alexander the Great, Philip the 2nd and the first president of the Olympic committee, Dimitrios Vikelas!
As long as you stay here, you can wander about the narrow streets of the Old Town, at the region of Kyriotissa, where you will remain speechless by Sarafoglou’s stone manor, where nowadays, the Folklore Museum of Veria is hosted.
Let your instinct guide you to the famous neighbourhood of Mparmpouta, where you will be enchanted by the beautiful manors and the houses with the Jewish inscriptions. This is the Jewish area of the town. It is common knowledge that Veria was one of the most important commercial and cultural crossroads of the 16th century, due to the coexistence of Greeks, Jews and Turks. Rumor has it that the area was first inhabited by Jews, since the day that Saint Paul preached in Veria and this is why the buildings follow a defensive formation. At this section of the town the Jewish Synagogue is located, at the northwest part of the region.
Staying in Veria and Kokkino Spiti you will have the chance to visit the Archaeological Museum and the Byzantine Museum. At the Archaeological Museum, the huge head of Medusa will take your breath away and as for the Byzantine Museum, you will definitely admire the building itself, due to the fact that it was an old gristmill!
The town is also known as “Little Jerusalem”, as a result of its 48 temples. Kneel before Panagia Sumela and visit the point where Saint Paul preached, this place is a representative part of the history of Christianity!
