Stone houses, Cobblestones alleys, traditional architecture.

Get off the beaten path and discover the traditional villages in Halkidiki. At these enchanting villages, one can find a wide range of interesting buildings, from simple one-room dwellings to fine mansions. There is also the distinctive mix of buildings with narrow, broad facades, the area’s main characteristic. However, the popular architecture of Halkidiki is the vernacular architecture which is a local version of the familiar Macedonian style. It has the same basic construction, exterior (or morphological) characteristics, however, different in typological variations.

Picturesque villages have picturesque history, too, spanning primeval, ancient, Byzantine and Middle Ages periods to the present day. If you are limited with time and need to leave something behind, make sure not to exclude Parthenonas, Afytos, Arnea, Nikiti and Taxiarchis villages.

Parthenonas - Sithonia Halkidiki

The village is perched on the green slopes of a mountainside, 52 km south east of Poligiros, the capital of Halkidiki. In this attractive village there are some fine taverns and accommodation options. There is also a folklore museum and a distillery, in which wine and tsipouro (Greek alcoholic beverage) are produced. The locals work hard in order to preserve the traditional elements of their village, such as architecture, culture and natural beauty.

The Parthenon is characterized as a traditional settlement of the Municipality of Sithonia and it is at an altitude of 320 m. During the Byzantine years, the wider area was a metochi of the monastery of Kostamonitou. The village was founded in the late 17th century. The inhabitants of the Parthenon participated in the revolution of 1821, highlighting important fighters, such as Basilis Ioannou and Ioannis Argyris.

Afitos - Kassandra Halkidiki

This is a small seaside village located on the northern side of the peninsula of Kassandra. It is famous for its traditional style and gorgeous paved alleys. The tourists are usually attracted by the local architecture of its stone-built houses. The church of Agios Dimitrios is one of the most remarkable buildings of the village, constructed in 1859 on the central square. 

Afitos is now adequate in rented rooms, hotels, taverns and restaurants with good and clean food, cafes and bars. The visitor enjoys the cobblestone streets of AFitos, following Elytis on its Aegean-style walkway and can swim in the blue sea of ​​Atthaitic Sea, Varkas, Pounta, Liossi, Dafni. Numerous cultural events during the summer, organized by the Athenian residents with passion and responsibility, make Afiitos a key reference point for the visitor of Halkidiki.

Taxiarchis - Central Halkidiki

Another village you should definitely visit while on your stay in Halkidiki is Taxiarchis. It is about 50 km away from Vourvourou on the northeastern side of the mainland. The village is built in between four natural springs while areas nearby include the mountain of Cholomonta and the village of Vrastama, which is also worth visiting. The village has been burnt down by the Turks during the Greek Revolution of Independence in 1820 but managed to get liberated in 1921. In the main square, you will find cafes, restaurants and the elementary school which is also the main meeting place for locals.

The village has been named after Archangel Michael who is the patron of the village and is celebrated on the 8th of November. Mushrooms, potatoes and beans are among the most famous products of the area. Taxiarchis has been characterized as remarkable; it attracts the visitor with its church, its museum and its preserved buildings, chapels, old mansions, narrow streets, taps (Tsipoutooura and Kato Pigadi), festivals and feasts. Let us wish the development is of a mild form with respect to the environment, the traditional activities of the inhabitants and the culture.

Nikiti - Sithonia Halkidiki

If you are looking for something off the beaten track, then this is the place for you! And if it is peace and quiet you’re after, take to the hills for a visit to the Old town of Nikiti, a lovely traditional village that retains an air of romantic nostalgia by being quaint without being too schmaltzy, featuring stone Macedonian houses with blossom-filled balconies and courtyards. The old village Nikiti is a charming traditional settlement just across the road from the new part. Here, walking on narrow paved small streets, you can admire the beautiful, restored, stone houses, with the internal courtyard, laid out by a stone tile and with wooden balconies with flowers.

It is possible to walk to St. Nikita's stone church and then to go down on the area with the big maple and to sit in a tavern, enjoying traditional cuisine. In the traditional settlement of Nikiti, you will walk between restored stone-built houses, squares with fountains, platans and taverns. Do not forget to try out the wonderful honey of the area (Nikiti is probably the largest “beehive village” in Greece) and enjoy the stunning sunset on the beach.

Arnaia - Central Halkidiki

Arnea combines Halkidiki's traditional past with a vibrant present! Away from the resorts, beach bars and tourists, the village of Arnea is a vibrant community that treasures the past. Here, you will get the real feel of what life is like in Halkidiki's mountains, to admire fine examples of traditional architecture and find out more about old-time crafts such as weaving. In the old days, Arnea village had a range of names to be called, was known as Liarigovi, yet during ancient times, it was also commonly known as Arni, Arnea and Avgea. 

In 1821 it was one of 42 villages that were burned to the ground by Baram Pasa. Arnea is one of the 12 historic communities known as the Mantemohoria ("Iron villages"), because at one time, they were obliged to provide workers for the area's mines. The Ministry of Culture has declared Arnea as historic site because its past and its important examples of traditional Macedonian architecture, too. Today, Arnea has a population of 2.300 residents and is reknowned for its architecture and the beautiful church of Saint Stefanos. Small guesthouses, traditional kafeneia "cafe shop", taverns is what to expect from the quaint village of Arnea.