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Greece’s Top Winter Destinations

Snowy Metsovo village, Greece
Winter in Metsovo village, Greece. Credit: Flickr / Robert Wallace CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Greece is known around the world for its sunny summers, white sand beaches, and crystal- clear waters, but there is another equally magical and exciting side to the country. There are many winter destinations that will make anyone drop what they’re doing and book a flight to Greece.

Greece’s Winter Destinations

Athens

Acropolis, Greece, Snow
Acropolis covered in snow. Credit: flickr / Robert Wallace CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The capital of Greece is perhaps not the most conventional destination for winter, but it is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas. The municipality of Athens organizes a variety of music events as well as other types of events during December. This introduces tourists to its Christmas atmosphere.

Jazz and classical melodies sound around every corner and neighborhood of the city.

Syntagma Square, in the center of Athens, constitutes the core of the Christmas atmosphere and hosts the city’s Christmas tree every year. In addition, it offers a carousel which entertains children while their parents enjoy a Greek coffee in one of the decorated cafes around the square.

The National Garden is one of the best tourist attractions for both children and adults. Santa Claus and his elves organize activities and workshops for children all day long and teach them Christmas traditions from all around the world during this special time of  year. In the meantime, parents can test their ice skating skills on the ice rink there.

For shopping lovers who want to buy last-minute presents, Athens offers a variety of shopping malls as well, where they can also enjoy a traditional Greek meal after shopping.

Arachova

Arachova is one of the most ideal and most popular Greek destinations during the winter. It is not far from Athens and is very close to other popular destinations, such as Delphi.

The village is located near the three ski centers of Mount Parnassus. Tourists who opt for Arachova will have the opportunity to combine exercise with fun and relaxation. Those who don’t find skiing to be their thing can enjoy the spa and sauna facilities that the wooden chalets of Arachova provide.

Like every Greek cosmopolitan destination, Arachova promises unforgettable nights to tourists. Local bars stay open until the early morning hours, ready to serve up interesting new cocktails to nighttime patrons.

Provided that the weather is good, visitors can go sightseeing and discover the village’s traditional beauty; the locals have done a superb job in preserving the region’s traditional architectural styles, which are almost Alpine.

Thessaloniki 

Thessaloniki winter
The White Tower of Thessaloniki in winter. Credit: Wikipedia/Panagiotis Lygouris/CC-BY-SA-4.0

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and is also an ideal destination for Christmas. Aristotelous Square represents the heart of Christmas celebrations around the city. Instead of a tree, however, the municipality of Thessaloniki decorates a ship every year, as part of Greek Christmas traditions. The ship is placed in the center of the square.

A big stage is also set up in the square in order to host the singing of Christmas carols and traditional Christmas music events every day during December.

The Elves and Santa Claus are there to offer presents to children every year while Christmas carols sound in every corner of the city as Christmas approaches.

Kapani Street calls tourists to visit and taste a unique Christmas experience, especially on New Year’s Eve during the daytime. People defy the cold and dance on the street, accompanied by traditional Greek music and red wine.

Furthermore, the city offers numerous coffee shops from which to choose, where they can catch their breath after the exhausting shopping in Thessaloniki’s numerous stores, which are mostly located in the city center.

Anyone who chooses Thessaloniki as their Christmas destination in Greece should not forget to taste Terkenlis’ famous chocolate “Tsoureki.”

Kastoria

Kastoria
Winter view of Kastoria. Credit: Eleni Alexiou/CC-BY-SA-4.0

Kastoria is one of the most romantic cities of Greece and without a doubt among the most popular destinations for winter. The city is built on the edge of Kastoria Lake, offering majestic views all around. Tourists can wander around the city and admire the combination of traditional and modern elements in its architecture.

During Christmastime, visitors can sing traditional local carols along with the locals. Those who choose to travel to Kastoria during the winter should make sure they are there between January 6th and January 8th, however, which is when locals celebrate the famous Ragoutsaria, a revival of the ceremonies of the Greek god Dionysus.

People dress up and celebrate into the wee morning hours.

As Kastoria is the biggest producer of products related to furs, tourists are encouraged to pay a visit to the local stores and buy a pair of warm slippers for the winter.

Trikala

Trikala is a beautiful city located in northern Greece. Visitors will have the opportunity to visit many historical sites, such as the Byzantine Castle, built by Justinian, and the Old City of Trikala, which consists of two districts, Varousi and Manavika. The Old City is also home to some of Trikala’s best restaurants and coffee bars, where tourists can taste local delicacies.

Meanwhile, the Municipality of Trikala organizes one of the greatest Christmas festivals in Greece. The “Mill of Elves” is a unique, completely magical journey for children as well as for adults.

There are many activities to entertain visitors within the city, but there are also many significant places nearby that can be part of a tourist’s itinerary, including Meteora, the most important monastery complex in Greece second only to Mount Athos, or the Pertouli Ski Center for an enjoyable day in the snow.

Drama

Drama
Oros Falakro, Drama. Credit: Pvasiliadis/CC-BY-SA-3.0

Drama hosts the most famous Greek Santa Claus villages, Oneiroupoli, or the Dream City. This is a theme park which offers a variety of activities for both children and parents. It is a great experience for children as well as a place where the Christmas spirit overcomes any language or age barriers.

Tourists will have the opportunity to relive their childhood so to say and get another perspective of Christmas. The colorful village transports its visitors into a magical fairytale and offers them the ultimate Christmas atmosphere.

Besides Oneiroupoli, tourists who visit Drama can also organize daily excursions to the ski resort of Drama, Falakros. Drama also offers a variety of traditional accommodations where anyone can find a warm and friendly shelter.

Agios Athanasios

The small village of Agios Athanasios with only 184 permanent residents is located in northern Greece on Kaimaktsalan Mountain. In 1992, it was declared a traditional settlement of Greece, and it has remained unchanged ever since.

The village, which was built in the late sixteenth century by farmers and builders from Epirus, now serves as a tourist resort. There are many beautifully and traditionally built hotels and B&Bs in the area, where families can enjoy their winter vacation.

Agios Athanasios is located near the Kaimaktsalan Ski Center, where skiers will have the opportunity to sample some of Greece’s largest ski slopes. Meanwhile, the small village is also an ideal starting point for many excursions since it is located at an easy driving distance from major Greek cities such as Edessa, Thessaloniki, and Xanthe.

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