In the center of Macedonia and to the South lies
Halkidiki peninsula 69km Southeast
of the northern port city of Thessaloniki between
Thermaikos and Strimonikos gulfs.
A land of 3000 square km ending in the famous three
peninsulas, like fingers which stretch out into the
Aegean Sea.
Kassandra to the West, Sithonia
(or
Loggos) in the middle and Athos (Agio Oros) to the
East.
A blessed
place of extraordinary beauty, as the sea curves
into the land, unique in Greece.
As always in Greece
mythology
and history mix. It is here that the battle between
the giants and the olympian gods took place. Here
in
the west part of Halkidiki, the ancient site of Flegra
(Pallini) Egelados, the earthquake giant, is burried.
It is also here that Athos has been reformed by the
rock that giant Athos threw against the Gods. Even
Sithonia is named after Poseidon's sun Sithon. More
on history section.
Archaeological finds gives us proof of organised
settlements since the neolithic period (5000 BC).
The findings
were revealed in the Petralona
cave, which is considered
the most important in Europe. The man of Petralona
caves (Homo erectus) lived there 200.000 years
ago and there findings speaking of fire and stone
tools
from 700.000 years ago. A great school
about prehistoric times and definetely worth
a visit!
Photos and text in this guide comes from the Greek
Ministry of Culture and from "Chalkidiki & Mount
Athos
- today and yesterday" (Toubis
Editions)
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