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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of Horton, Pelion, taken from the dirt road that connects Horton with Metohi, a small village higher up.

Loading image. Please wait Breathtaking View! :: Makrinitsa, Pelion :: December 2001 :: © A.Papadopoulos Breathtaking View! :: Makrinitsa, Pelion :: December 2001 :: © A.Papadopoulos Old Mansion :: Makrinitsa, Pelion :: December 2001 :: © A.Papadopoulos Near Sunset :: Makrinitsa, Pelion :: December 2001 :: © A.Papadopoulos Main Street :: Makrinitsa, Pelion :: December 2001 :: © A.Papadopoulos St. John the Baptist’s Church :: Makrinitsa, Pelion :: December 2001 :: © A.Papadopoulos

Makrinitsa

Makrinitsa is a picturesque village, precariously perched on a precipitous cliff, at an elevation of 850m (2,590ft). In fact, the slope is so steep, that the difference in elevation between the village's highest and lowest buildings is in the vicinity of 500m (1,525ft)! It's located 17km (10.5 miles) from Volos, 62km (38.5 miles) from Argalasti, and 69km (43 miles) from Horto.

The central square, which overlooks the city of Volos, affords the visitor an exquisite view. It is, therefore, no wonder that Makrinitsa is locally known as the "balcony of Pelion."

Makrinitsa attracts a lot of local, national and international tourism year round. As a result, it is usually very crowded and traffic is oftentimes heavy. To make things worse, parking is, more often than not, a problem, as the municipal parking lot is usually full. Therefore, consider leaving your car at some distance from the village and proceeding there on foot. The distance between Makrinitsa and Portaria is only 2km (approx. 1 mile) and the walk is really splendid.


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History

The village was founded between 1204 and 1215 AD, around the  "Theotokos Oxias Episkepseos" Monastery, which was constructed by the despot of Magnesia, Constantine Melissinos. Unfortunately, the original monastery was destroyed by a landslide, early in the 17th century.

Makrinitsa became famous for its masons, tanners, artisans and craftsmen, and amassed significant wealth by exporting leather and silk goods, as well as a number of other handicrafts, to many Greek provinces.

Late in the 18th century, Makrinitsa became the capital of the vakoufia, as it was the largest and most affluent of Pelion's villages. Vakoufi, derived from the Turkish word "vakif", was a large monastic estate, whose produces and revenues covered the financial needs of the holy institution to which it was devoted. The vakoufia belonged to the Sultan, but were run by his wife, Valide. She would appoint her representative, known as the Voevodas, a Slavic word for Military Commander, who was responsible for collecting the associated taxes from the village dignitaries or demogerondes.

Nicolas Magnis, a schoolteacher from Thessaly, in his excellent book "Travel Log or Topography of Thessaly and Magnesia," which was first published in 1860, while Thessaly was still under Turkish occupation, describes Makrinitsa as follows:

"Makrinitsa is the first village or, rather, town, judging from its size and its privilege of being, in a way, the metropolis and capital of the vakoufia. It unfolds on very steep, rugged terrain, in such a way that the facades of most buildings are two and three stories high, whereas the backsides are low enough for hens and dogs to climb on.

It is located some 24 hours from the coast and consists of over 800 stone houses, many of which are really beautiful and equipped with all the necessary amenities. It has two small suburbs. The first - named Koukourava, comprises 150 houses; it is located lower, towards the south, and is connected with the town. The second, named Stagiatae, comprises approximately 100 houses.

Makrinitsa is a very well fortified locality, because it is crowned by cliffs and precipitous rocks, both eastwards and westwards. It serves, in a sense, as a citadel for the remaining Magnesian villages, which it has saved many a time from the raids of Albanian brigands, namely Deliahmed's gang, inasmuch as it occupies the peninsula's isthmus and the villains dare not venture inland, with such a fortification on their rear.

Makrinitsa produces silk, wheat, barley and other products, excellent wine and honey, which surpasses that of Mount Hemetus, in Attika. It does not, however, produce any olives or figs. The townspeople own a lot of uncultivated property, which is rented out to shepherds from Upper Thessaly and Macedonia, who winter here with their flocks.

The people of Makrinitsa do not engage in agriculture. Instead, they are traders, artisans and craftsmen. The men fashion sandals, sacks and hand-woven bags, which are sold to all the Magnesian villages, cotton sails for ships, wicks, belts and headbands, many of which are exported, as well as many tanned skins from the tanneries. The women spin very thin woolen yarn and knit exquisite woolen socks. The people of Makrinitsa are merry, pleasant and liberal, but are also power loving and antagonistic."

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Sightseeing

While in Makrinitsa, make sure to visit:

• The Folk Art and History Museum, housed in the Topalis family mansion. It contains a lot of interesting collections, including, inter alia, local costumes, the flag that was flown during the 1878 revolution against the Ottoman Empire, weapons, household items, etc. It is open every day, except Mondays, from 10:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m. and from 17:00 p.m. to 20:00 p.m.

• Votsareas' cafe, at the central square, which is adorned with a huge mural by  Theophilos. The mural, painted sometime between 1897 and 1927 (probably 1910), occupies an entire wall and depicts "The Betrayal of the  Klepht  Katsandonis."

• A number of churches, built during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which are decorated with some really interesting frescos. Make a point of visiting the  "Koemisis tis Theotokou" Church, east of the Central Square. It was founded in 1767, but many of its structural and decorative elements, e.g. pillars, carvings, etc. date back to the 13th century, as they were part of the Byzantine Monastery. The church also houses a magnificent portable icon, made by Theophilos, which depicts the Resurrection.

Other things worth seeing are the medieval castle in Koukourava; over 50 water fountains, built between 1750 and 1920; the tanneries, which have now fallen into ruin; the arched stone bridges, etc.

Furthermore, the Community organizes various cultural events between the 15th of May and the 30th of September.

As I lack the necessary culture, when in Makrinitsa, I personally like to sip on a cold beer while watching the magnificent sunset; it really is a sight to behold. And, of course, the view of Volos by night more than rewards visitors who decide to prolong their stay for a couple hours.

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Restaurants


There are three restaurants or tavernas in the vicinity of the central square, named "Galino", "Drosia" and "Pantheon". They all serve a wide variety of local dishes and are quite decent.

If you know of any other restaurants or enjoyed an exceptional gastronomic experience, then please drop me a line and let me know.

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Accommodation


Makrinitsa boasts numerous archondika, the Greek word for mansions, ranging in class from A to E. Most are operational year round, so you shouldn't have difficulties finding suitable accommodation, except, maybe, during the peak seasons.

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Camping


I am not aware of any camping sites in the vicinity. Also a site visitor, who used to be a tour guide for several years, e-mailed me and told me that there are no camping sites around Makrinitsa. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost her message and, as a result, am unable to give her proper credit. Sorry for that...

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Directions


Getting to Makrinitsa is really simple. Once in Volos, just follow the signs to "Pelion", which point towards the northeast. Drive through Ano Volos and turn left when you reach Portaria. Voila!

To get a better understanding of the area, check out the associated map.

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