Visit Nymfaio. One of the 10 most beautiful villages in Europe is in Greece!

Visit Nymfaio. At a distance of 200 km from the city of Thessaloniki is a preserved traditional settlement, a very popular destination for autumn and winter (mainly) city breaks. It is the enchanting and picturesque Nymfaio.

Nymfaio has been described by travel guides as one of the ten most beautiful villages in Europe! This mountainous “revelation” at 1,350 meters altitude is an ideal destination for travel in autumn and winter, but also every season has something special to offer.

Those who visit the area say that Nymfaio is probably the most beautiful village in Macedonia. The village is surrounded by beech forest and is crossed by cobbled paths and stone houses, while in recent years it has become a tourist attraction.

It has several hostels. There is also the half-ruined headquarters of Pavlos Melas and the Nikios School – a trademark of the village – which is now a conference center of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Also distinguished are its mansions that have been renovated and converted into traditional guesthouses, cozy hangouts and shops with local products.

The Museum of Silver and Gold, Folklore and History also operates in Nymfaio, hosting rare collections of silver and gold tools, ornate jewelry and useful objects, manuscripts of the Macedonian Struggle, 60 portraits of prominent Greeks, Vlachs and other ethnic Greeks.

Many people choose Nymfaio as their base to explore the natural treasures of the area and the surrounding villages. They characterize it as a dream village and in fact it has gained fanatical fans who visit it quite often.

Although the area has several hostels, as we mentioned they are almost never enough as the traffic is high. So, if you decide to travel it in the fall or winter, you should take care of the accommodation early.

The locals will impress you with their hospitable mood while try to try as much as you can from the delicious local cuisine!

The history of the village

The settlement was founded around 1385 by Vlach Odites, that is, Latin-speaking native Macedonians, who for 1,400 years keep an eye on the neighboring Egnatia Odos and who then took refuge in the inaccessible mountains after fierce battles with the Ottomans. These were, in addition to breeders, also worthy warriors. That is why they managed to make their village a vakoufi. (Vakoufi is a donation, usually real estate, which is given according to Islamic law, for Muslim religious or charitable purposes, without the intention of recovering the property. Asset donation can be owned by a charity).

Until the beginning of the 17th century, they lived mainly with predatory raids on the plains of the plain. In 1650 – 1680, when the Turks destroyed Nikolitsa, a Vlach village in Grammos, many Nikolitsians – famous silversmiths – settled in Nymphaeum and introduced the Nivestians to their art.

Visit Nymfaio

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Thus, at the end of the 17th century, the village became the center of silver and goldsmithing of all the Balkans for the remaining three centuries. The precious metals were processed all winter and in the spring they left en masse to sell their wares in Istanbul and the cities on the Danube coast, but also as far as Egypt, riding camels, as evidenced by the photos from the permanent exhibition in Nike. Leisure. Returning rich, they decorated their village with churches and mansions.

The fall, however, came during the German occupation and the civil war, due to the location of the village in Vitsi. Over the years, difficult conditions led to Nymfaio being abandoned.

Nymfaio began to emerge again thanks to the love and collective effort of its people, while it managed to highlight its history and the aesthetics of the village in harmony with the natural environment. With a lot of effort and not at all unjustly, it managed to become one of the most beautiful villages in Europe!

Winter is his season… it is no coincidence that he has the nickname “Snow White of the North”

At an altitude of 1,350 meters, on the ridges of Mount Vitsi, at the northern tip of Greece, this beautiful Greek village is the personification of winter!

Due to its geographical location as it is natural, the snow makes its appearance with the cold weather! If you are looking for a snowy destination in winter, this is the place to be!

The pictures with the village dressed in white, are as if they came from a postcard!

Worth to visit

Also, in the area near Nymfaio, the non-governmental, non-profit environmental organization of Arcturus is active, with an environmental information center for the brown bear and the wolf. To get there, follow the stone path that starts from the village for about 15 minutes, in a wonderful natural landscape.

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