There is a variety of attractions in the vicinity of the city that are highly recommended for visitors. To assist the summer school participants, we plan to prepare an information booklet (including a map) to distribute to visitors, and depending on interest we will consider guided visits to one or more of these places.
Halkidiki 1st leg: The first leg (also known as the Kassandra peninsula) is at the westernmost tip of Halkidiki, close to Thessaloniki. Entering into Kassandra makes quite an impression, as it is connected to Halkidiki through the bridge at Nea Potidea, the first village visitors encounter. This is the most densely populated of the three peninsulas. In addition to its many kilometres of long indented coastline and crystal clear waters, it offers a vibrant nightlife.
Halkidiki 2nd leg: The second leg (also known as Sithonia peninsula) is the second peninsula of Halkidiki in northern Greece. It is a place of exceptional beauty, marked by mountainous landscape and sandy beaches with crystal clear turquoise water.
Mount Olympus: Every year thousands of people visit Olympus to admire its nature, to tour its slopes, and reach its peaks. Organized mountain refuges and various mountaineering and climbing routes are available to visitors. The usual starting point for it is the town of Litochoro, on the eastern foothills of the mountain, 100 km from Thessaloniki, where, in the beginning of every summer, the Mountain Olympus Marathon terminates.
Vergina: The town became internationally famous in 1977, when the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos unearthed the burial site of the kings of Macedon, including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. The museum, inaugurated in 1993, was built in a way to protect the tombs, exhibit the artefacts and show the tumulus as it was before the excavations.