VOLOS. LIVING THE "GOOD LIFE" A STONE`S THROW FROM PELION
Volos, a modern city with mythical roots, welcomes you with tsipouro, sea breezes and the promise of an ideal city-break near Pelion
Today’s Volos was once ancient Iolkos, the city of the Argonauts. A welcoming and charming city in Thessaly, at the foot of Mt Pelion, it embraces the Pagasitic Gulf, leaving you with an unforgettable feeling. Volos’ culinary tradition will be the star of your visit, and the flavours you’ll taste here at the tsipouradika, will remain etched in your memory forever.
Old-fashioned neighbourhoods juxtaposed against modern architecture and a youthful energy created by the thousands of students, give it a unique identity. You’ll discover it in the industrial buildings, museums, shopping centres and exhibition spaces. You’ll feel it as you walk along the waterfront, teeming with people, enjoying tsipouradika, pastry shops, bars and historic buildings. Volos is a city by the sea, buzzing with beauty, freedom and life, day and night.
What to do in Volos
Tsipouradika: raise a glass to gastronomy and tradition
Hospitable Volos welcomes you like a proper host with tsipouro (schnapps-like firewater) and meze! Travellers on their way to Pelion, students, mariners sailing the Aegean, or men and women on business, everyone stops here for the tsipouradika. You’ll find them in every corner of the city, picturesque and authentic.
At lunchtime they fill up with people and you too can take part in the local ritual. Spetsofai (sausages with peppers), wild artichokes, cuttlefish with wild fennel; more than 40 traditional mini dishes make their way onto your table, accompanied by the local drink, which is served in individual 25ml bottles. It is a culinary institution that dates back to the 1930s.
Walk along the waterfront
The meeting point for locals and visitors is the beach. It is one of the most beautiful strolls in Greece. Start from the sculpture of Argo, the symbol of the city, and continue until you reach the imposing Papastratou building and its own outdoor sculptures. Enjoy a leisurely coffee while watching the waves, take a bicycle ride, have a cocktail while admiring the neoclassical building of the National Bank of Greece and the Achilleon theatre. Walk along the Kordoni – the promenade – and become one with the sea.
Beachfront fun
On the cobblestone streets of Ermou, Kontaratou and Ogl, and at Agios Nikolaos Square, Volos is buzzing with life, day and night. Coffee, cocktails, food, loud and live music – all will get you into the rhythm.
Industrial design
The old industrial buildings of Volos (52 in total) have taken on a new identity. Ceramics and tobacco factories, blacksmith forges and flour mills, now all house multiplexes, cinemas and restaurants. Tsalapatos is one of the most outstanding examples of industrial architecture in Europe.
Hidden gems of Volos
Dimini and Sesklo
Discover these interesting prehistoric settlements, just a stone’s throw from Volos. They are the most interesting attractions in the area.
Evaristo de Chirico Station
This railway station is an architectural masterpiece, designed by Evaristo de Chirico, father of the famous painter (Giorgio de Chirico), who constructed the Moutzouris railroad line in Pelion.
A walk in the Pagasitic
Just a few kilometres outside Volos go for a coffee or a tsipouro at the seaside resorts of the Pagasitic Gulf like Agria, Kato Gatzea and Kala Nera. And if you want to sample some of the local delicacies, Volos is ready to share the secrets of its delicious cuisine.
source: www.discovergreece.com
