Activities

Entertainment 

Kassandra is famous for the entertainment it offers, during the summer months, to all those who visit it. Here the fun never seems to stop! The mood starts to rise early in the morning on the beaches and beach bars, which know how to create the right atmosphere so that each visitor can enjoy the sun and the sea as best as possible. When the evening arrives, enjoy a wonderful dinner in one of the many restaurants of Hersonissos overlooking the sea or the mountain. After the meal, relax with a drink in one of the many cafe-bars that exist in all the villages, having fun with various musical listenings and genres from jazz, pop, rock to Greek music depending on the time and mood. 

Culture

Crucial to the development of Cultural Tourism in Kassandra is the Kassandra Festival. Counting 25 years of life, it has hosted internationally renowned artists such as Ray Charles, BB King, Joanne Baese and Greek artists such as Dimitris Sgouros, Evanthia Reboutsika, Charoula Alexiou, Alkisti Protopsalti and dozens of other artists who give this cultural Institution. Ensembles of the National and State Theater and actors who adorn the Greek Theatrical firm give a present every summer to this celebration of culture! The Festival opens its gates in July and traditionally ends at the end of August. It takes place in the Amphitheater of Siviri, with a capacity of 3500 seats. It is the jewel of the area that every year welcomes thousands of "fans" who watch it with dedication. At the same time, in every area of ​​Kassandra, events take place every summer, such as the honey festival in Fourka, the Gavros festival in N. Skioni, the three-day Apostle Paul in N. Fokea, the carnival in Polychrono, Kassandromena and Kassandros the feast of the Angels in Hanioti, the 15th of August in Paliouri, the feast of honey in Agia Paraskevi, the music events and the feast of Trachanas in Afitos, the events in Kriopigi and the feast of Saint Panteleimon in Kallithea.

Folklore Museum “Aletra Building“

The Aletra building is located in the central square of Afytos. It was built in 1889 by Triantaphyllos Aletra. It is a remarkable example of urban architecture and expresses the provincial neoclassicism that prevailed in Macedonia in the early 19th century.

Today it is used as a place of culture. On the ground floor there is a lending library and an exhibition space that hosts exhibitions of the village associations as well as various artists. In the basement there is a collection of agricultural tools while on the first floor there is a traditional house of Afytos. All the exhibits of the museum (furniture, textiles, kitchen utensils, tools) are kindly sponsored by the villagers.

Folklore Museum "Archontiko Oikonomou"

The Folklore Museum of Kassandria was created in 2003, welcomes you to its place and promises you a journey of memory in the past of the place. The exhibits try to give a picture of life in Kassandria during the last century. A one-room house was erected on the first floor of the building. The dominant exhibit is the loom and around it various textiles that Kassandrin girls had woven with more art and passion. Elsewhere you can see tools and objects used in various professions. On the walls there is a large collection of black and white photographs of locations and snapshots of life in Cassandra of the last century.

Folklore Museum of Polychrono

The Folklore Museum was founded in 2014, it is a creation of the Cultural Association of Polychronos. It is located behind the Church of St. Athanasiou, and next to the community store. The purpose of the Museum is to preserve the cultural and intellectual heritage. Exhibition of agricultural tools, equipment and utensils for the preparation of bread, beekeeping items and carpentry equipment. There is a section with textile equipment, tools and everyday household items, traditional costumes. Photographic material of the village, historical documents, maps, banknotes and photographic material from archeological findings of the village. The Museum also has a small library with books of historical content, which is constantly enriched with new publications and titles.

PILGRIMAGE TOURS

Agiasma of Agios Pavlos - N.Fokea

A chapel carved in the rock that according to tradition the Apostle of the Nations Paul took refuge when he visited the area to teach. In the chapel springs Agiasma which the faithful receive as a blessing. The space is open for pilgrims who can enter and walk in a portico about 10 meters long until they reach a rectangular room, which, according to tradition, the Apostle Paul stayed.

Chapel of Panagia Faneromeni

This beautiful chapel is located 2 km from N. Skioni and dates from the 16th century. An icon of the Virgin Mary painted on an upright base of a statue is kept in the church. According to popular tradition, the icon reached the chapel sailing from Thessaly. Inside the church visitors can read the text of the history and miracles of the icon of Panagia Faneromeni.

Holy Monastery of Saint John the Russian

The Holy Monastery of Saint John the Russian is located on the ridge of the Kassandra peninsula, in the wider area of Pefkochori. This is a Holy Hermitage that is visited, especially in summer, by a large number of believers.

Church of Agios Dimitrios - Afytos
It was built in 1858 on the ruins of an older church dedicated to the same Saint who was destroyed in 1821, in the Ruin of Kassandra, as well as the entire village.
It is a three-aisled basilica with a dome, integrated belfry, narthex and courtyard. It was built by craftsmen from northern Epirus with the personal help of the villagers. The contribution of the Simonopetri monk Philip was great.
The iconostasis of the church is wood-carved with painted floral decoration and is decorated with 19th century icons by Georgios Athanasios from Galatista.
In the central aisle of the church there is the icon of Panagia Afitiotissa, a 14th century work from Constantinople.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin (1850)

Through cobbled alleys the visitor is led to the main church of the Nativity of the Virgin, built in 1850. In this church are of interest the old bell tower, the sculpted infrared arch (early Christian with relief representations), located at the west entrance and originating of Agios Dimitrios Thessaloniki, its rich decoration, highlighting the historical and religious value of the church.

The wreck of the ship "Mytilene".

It is located NW of Kypsa bay, on the Kassandra peninsula. "Mytilene", an old German motorship, was built in 1941 and operated the route Thessaloniki - Mytilene transporting first consumption items (oil, cereals, wine). "Mytilene" sank in 1961 after hitting a reef after a strong storm.

The bay of Koursaros

If you are in Kassandra, then the bay of Koursarou, in Paliouri, can prove to be a very worthwhile choice for diving. The depth reaches 33 meters and the seabed is of rare beauty.

Porto Valitsa

In the bay of Paliouri ¨Porto Valitsa¨, with a diving depth of 30 meters, you can admire steep cliffs and shelters for octopuses, shellfish and many fish.

Sanctuary of Ammon Zeus and Dionysus

 One of the important temples that have been identified in Halkidiki is that of Ammon Zeus. In this place of the Kassandra peninsula was founded during the second half of the 8th century BC, by the Evian settlers of the city of Afitis, a sanctuary of Dionysus that was worshiped together with the Nymphs in the cave under the rock on the southwestern slope of the area. On the flat surface, in the northern part of the area, it was founded towards the end of the 5th c. e.g. sanctuary of the Egyptian god Ammon Zeus. Initially, towards the end of the 5th c. BC, a built altar was built, but later, in the second half of the 4th century BC, a pavilion of Doric style temple was built next to the altar with a stone slab (superstructure). The latter was replaced with another marble towards the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 2nd c. e.g. Its roof was decorated with clay tiles, embossed and colored. Its design restoration is possible based on the architectural members that were found scattered. In Roman times (1st - 2nd century AD) the church was rebuilt and with its material two stepped structures (stands) were built on its southern narrow side, while between them, on the older altar, another small altar was built. In this outdoor space, the faithful had to watch some events. As the findings show, the Roman phase of the temple lasted until the time of the successors of Constantine the Great, when it must have been permanently destroyed. Part of an early Christian bath excavated at the northern end of the site may be related to the continuation of worship in the early Christian centuries, but also later in the mid-Byzantine period.

Ancient Mendi

Ancient Mendi, which experienced great economic prosperity due to the exports of the famous Mendai wine, was one of the colonies, which Eretria founded on the Pallini peninsula in the 8th century. e.g. The main archeological site, covering 1200 x 600 m., Is located on the flat plateau and the slopes of a pine-covered hill which ends smoothly to the sea. In the citadel or Vigla, which extends to the highest, southeastern point of the hill, underground storage areas with ceramics (clusters of pits-deposits) from the 12th to the 7th c. e.g. On the plateau, also known as Xefoto, a test section revealed part of a wall of the classic city. In the "Suburb", which is mentioned by Thucydides and which occupies the coastal area of ​​the ancient city outside the walls, successive phases of habitation from the 9th to the 4th c. e.g. In the coastal cemetery, located on the beach of the Mendi Hotel, a total of 241 burials were excavated, mainly of infants and young children, in large vessels, dating from the end of the 8th to the beginning of the 6th century. e.g. The vessels were mainly written, with floral and geometric decoration, or engraved, and are characteristic samples of the ceramic style of Halkidiki.

Tower of N. Fokea or Ag. Paul

A trademark of the village, this Byzantine Tower dominates imposingly on the hill located to the right of the port of Nea Fokea. It is made of stone, with a height of 28m. and is the only one that survives up to its ramparts. It is probable that it was built in 1407 in a prehistoric place, for the protection of the share of the Monastery of Ag. Paul. In 1821 it was set on fire and in 1976 its roof was rebuilt. Around the tower are preserved ruined parts of the east and south wings of the metochi and a church of 1868. In Pyrgos, in 1821, the leader of the revolution in Halkidiki, Emmanuel Papas, had his headquarters.

Sani Tower 

Sani Tower or Stavronikita Tower, is located on the hill of Sani Hotel, where the citadel of ancient Sani was probably located, the city built by settlers from Eretria and was until the Roman years one of the most prosperous cities of Halkidiki. The wide area is mentioned with the toponym "Pyrgos" since 1346. The area was part of the monastery of Stavronikita. The Tower was built in 1543 for the protection of the share, has a height of 8m and survives to this day in very good condition.

Roman Cottage

On the beach of Megali Kypsa, was discovered in 1972 near the sea a farmhouse of Roman times with mosaic floors and many marble architectural members. An early Christian church was later built on the site, which archaeologists say bore a striking resemblance to the architecture of Roman-era buildings.

Early Christian Royal Tube

A few kilometers outside of Kallithea, in the place of Solina, there is the early Christian church of Solina that dates back to the 5th century AD. The archeological dig also brought to light the cruciform baptistery, which is attached to the narthex of the temple, as well as tombs with clay vessels. The middle aisle is occupied by an earlier 13th century building, which seems to have been a tower.

Temple of Poseidon

The oldest sanctuary of Poseidon, is located in Poseidi, in the area that in ancient times was called ancient Mendi. The church was in operation for more than 1000 years, and there are references to it even by Thucydides and in Mount Athos documents of the 14th century. It was probably built by the Eretrians, who colonized Mendi and had Poseidon as their protector. Excavations have uncovered four large buildings: the main temple, two buildings on either side of the temple, and an arched building to the east. The last, which is also the oldest, dates from the protogeometric period (11th-10th century BC). Its floor is clay and the walls are made of large cobbles.

Port of Ancient Skioni

Ancient Skioni is located at "Mytikas" between Nea Skioni and Agios Nikolaos. This is an extremely inaccessible hill, which dominates over the sea. It is not accessible from the south, as its side in front of the sea is steep.
The ancient city was built on a hill in front of the sea, while the hill to the north is identified with the fortified hill mentioned by Thucydides in front of the city. The city seems to have been heavily fortified, as the Athenians besieged it for two years. From its fortification at the beginning of the 20th century a few parts of a tower on the hill were visible. At this point it places the citadel of the ancient city.
A coin of ancient Skioni (around 500 BC) depicts the Homeric hero Protesilaos, who is also mentioned as the founder of the city. The port of Skioni was important, which contributed a lot to its prosperity. In the 5th BC century Skioni, became a member of the Athenian Alliance, but during the Peloponnesian War joined the Spartans. Skioni paid dearly for this apostasy, after the Athenians occupied Skioni, slaughtered or enslaved its inhabitants and settled in it Plataeans, who had been forced to leave their homeland.