Northern Greece combines Halkidiki resorts and Macedonian identity — Jerusalem Post
Northern Greece, including Thessaloniki and the Halkidiki peninsula, offers a combination of urban tourism, beach holidays and nature routes. This is stated in a Jerusalem Post travel report dedicated to the region of Greek Macedonia and the resorts of Sithonia.
Thessaloniki and Halkidiki
Thessaloniki, located on the coast of the Thermaic Gulf, is described by the author as the region's center, with a waterfront, Byzantine heritage and a multicultural past. The city's waterfront features a monument to Alexander the Great, surrounded by eight shields and long Macedonian spears — sarissas.
Sithonia, the middle of the three prongs of the Halkidiki peninsula, is located one to two hours' drive from Thessaloniki. It has pine-covered hills, coves with turquoise water, seaside villages and large resort complexes. One of them is Porto Carras Meliton, located on a 1,763-hectare estate. Its founder, shipowner Yannis Carras, conceived in the 1960s of a hotel designed to resemble a cruise liner heading out to sea.
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The resort has four swimming pools, nine kilometers of coastline, restaurants, a fitness center, the Domaine Porto Carras winery, a golf course, horseback riding and sea excursions from the adjacent marina. In 2020, Porto Carras was acquired by Belterra Investments, linked to the family of Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis.
The issue of Macedonia's name
The article also describes the importance of Macedonian identity for residents of northern Greece. After the neighboring state of Greece declared independence from Yugoslavia as the Republic of Macedonia, a long-running dispute over the name arose. In 1992, Mikra Airport in Thessaloniki was renamed "Macedonia."
The 2018 Prespa Agreement established the compromise name North Macedonia for the neighboring state, distinguishing it from the Greek region of Macedonia. Hotel representative Katerina Athanasiadou said that for many local residents, being Greek Macedonians is part of their Greek identity. At the same time, she said many guests from North Macedonia stay at the resort, and relations between people on both sides of the border are friendly.
