It was 1934 when Eleftherios Venizelos, one of the most important Greek
Prime ministers, visited the famous village of Mount Pelion, Makrinitsa,
and called it "The balcony of Pelion". Since then, 80 years have
passed, but the view still remains charming and tempting! Here is an episode of the Greek TV show "Return to the village" about Portaria and Makrinitsa.
I hope that the pictures, music and flavours of Pelion will keep good company on this winter's day and will inspire you to visit Volos and Pelion when the opportunity arises!
You can watch the whole episode here: http://www.alphatv.gr/shows/entertainment/epistrofistohorio/webtv/epistrofi-sto-horio-makrynitsa-pilioy
The villagers of Pelion are known for their excellent culinary skills. The most traditional Pelion dish is "spetzofai". The word "spetzofai" is derived from the italian verb spezzare (to cut into pieces) and the greek word fai (food). Also, spetza in Pelion means pepper. Spetzofai's ingredients are: sausages, peppers, olive oil and fresh tomato sauce. The recipe is really easy and tasty!
The famous Pelion village of Milies is a popular tourist
destination all year round. In Milies you can visit the church of the Archangels (built before 1741), the folklore museum
and the Greek Enlightenment Library of the village. But the best thing you can do in Milies is take Smudgy, the
Little Train of Pelion from the railway station of the village.This
unique train was designed in 1895 and connected Volos and Lechonia and later Volos
and Milies. The constructor of Smudgy was the Italian
engineer Evaristo de Chirico, father of the famous painter Giorgio de Chirico. The journey through the forests offers a
magnificent and rewarding view!
Your journey begins at 10.00 a.m from Lechonia and your return is scheduled at 15.00 from Milies.
For more information about the history of Smudgy and the timetables (the train travels mainly during the spring-summer season), please visit
Plastiras or Tavropos artificial lake is located near the town of Karditsa just two hours from Volos. It was named after the important military and political figure Nicholaos Plastiras. Plastiras conceived the idea to consturct this lake on the plateau of Nevropolis (nevros in greek means small deer). The lake was finally constructed in 1959 and it was watered by Tavropos river. It is the main water supply of the Karditsa and it serves as a power supply of the hydroelectric plant of the area. During the late '80s Plastiras lake became a very famous resort. The forest landscape is magnificent and the view of the lake is really breathtaking!
