Besides the myths though, Halkidiki has a tradition that goes well back in time. The monasteries of Mt Athos stand tall – as they have done for 1,000 years and will continue to do so as  UNESCO World Heritage Monuments. Mount Athos is the third peninsula of Halkidiki and it does not only constitute a World Heritage Site, but it also renders an autonomous entity in the Hellenic Republic. Athos is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the patriarch of Constantinople. Mount Athos has been inhabited since ancient times and it is known for its nearly 1,800-year continuous Christian presence and its long historical monastic traditions, which date back to at least 800 A.D. and the Byzantine era. Today, over 2.000 monks from Greece and many other Eastern Orthodox countries, such as Bulgaria, Serbia and Russia, live an ascetic life in Athos, isolated from the rest of the world. The Athonite monasteries feature a rich collection of well-preserved artifacts, rare books, ancient documents, and artworks of immense historical value. 

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Olynthos has a unique historical past, from the years of Aristotle and even older. The modern village is called Nea Olynthos and it is located at the base of the peninsula of Kassandra, 78 km away from Thessaloniki and 12 km from Potidea. New Olynthos is the continuation of the Byzantine village of Myriophytos. After 1922 many refugees from Eastern Thrace and Asia Minor were added to the few local residents. Nowadays, the inhabitants amount to about 1200 and are mainly occupied in agriculture and olive-growing.
To the east of the new settlement, within a short distance, there are the ruins of the famous ancient Olynthos. The site is inhabited since the Neolithic Era (5300-4500 BC), while the word “Olynthos” is pre-Hellenic and probably has a meaning “wild fig”. According to tradition, it was named so by Olynthos, the son of the river God Strymon. Ancient Olynthos was built on two hills, the southern and the northern. The southern hill was occupied by the city, which, according to Herodotus, was founded by the Voctians of Imathia in the 7th century. B.C. This city was destroyed by the Persians of Artabazos in 479 BC. However, its inhabitants did not leave the area. They built a new city on the northern hill. It was the Olynthos of the Classical Period, built in the Hippodamian city planning system, with building blocks separated by horizontal and vertical streets. The accuracy of the city plan of Olynthos helps us understand how the Hippodamio city planning system was applied. It was to play a major role and to become the most important political, economic and military center of Halkidiki from the 5th to the 3rd century BC. Moreover, the founding of the Halkidian Common in 430 BC, meant the political union of 32 cities of Halkidiki under the command of Olynthos. The great prosperity of the city brought her into conflict with King Philip II of Macedonia, who could not tolerate the presence of another great force in his area and eventually led to its destruction in 348 BC. Today, a large part of the ancient city has been discovered in the visiting site of the excavation, and there have been found tombs, coins and mosaics of unique beauty that date back to different eras of Greek history.
An Archaeological Museum operates in the archaeological site. Excavations are not exhibited in its premises, but audiovisual material, with the help of which the visitor acquires a broader picture of the history of ancient Olynthos, is available. The findings of the excavations are found in the museums of Thessaloniki and Polygyros.

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Kassandra peninsula has a variety of folklore museums where guests can discover the way the local habitants used to live. There are Folklore museums in Polychrono, in Kassandria, in Agia Paraskevi and in Afytos. However, there is also a very special museum: The Fisheries Museum. The Fisheries Museum established by the Municipality of Moudania is the only fisheries museum in Greece, a country in which fishing is an old tradition. The museum is located in Nea Moudania and both kids and adults shall consider it a beautiful and completely educational experience. The purpose of the Museum is to converse and reveal this important part of Greece’ s cultural heritage and also to increase public awareness of marine life and the need to converse it. Yet the Museum does not only confine itself to conversing the testimony of the collective memory, but it also acts as a communication medium in a live and dynamic environment, which attracts a visitor to participation, learning and enjoyment, providing a variety of stimuli. Apart from the exhibition area, there is also a room for multifunctional uses (educational activities, meetings e.t.c.) as well as a library reading room available to visitors and researchers who may wish to use the facilities. The concept of a fisheries museum belongs to the Moudania Nautical Club, which offered the Municipality of Moudania an important collection of shells from Greek waters and contributed to the conservation of old fishing equipment.

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In Halkidiki, there are ruins of early Christian churches. Christianity was first introduced in 50AD, when the Apostle Paul passed through Apollonia on his way from Philippi to Thessaloniki. Moreover, during the reign of Theodosius I, Christianity was proclaimed as the official state religion and after the foundation of Mount Athos monastic community, Halkidiki became the most important religious center for Orthodox pilgrims, while a lot of monasteries were founded during Byzantine era. Most of the monasteries outside Athos peninsula though, were under the supervision of Mount Athos’s monks.

In the village of Nea Fokea stands what is perhaps the best preserved of all the towers in Halkidiki. The Tower in Nea Fokea, also known as St. Paul’s Tower holds a dominant position on the hill at the right side of N. Fokea’s port. It’s 17m high and it’s an old Byzantine fortress that is likely to have been built in 1407, and partially destroyed by fire in 1821. Its purpose was the protection of farmers working in the “metochi” of St Paul’s Monastery. The tower was also the cave where the Apostle Paul hid from his persecutors and moreover the headquarters of Greek revolutionary Emmanouil Papas, during the Greek War of Independence.
The Tower of Stavronikitas, also known as Tower of Sani dates from 1543 and was built to protect the “metochi” (dependency) of the Stavronikita Monastery. The tower is in an excellent state of repair; it is 8 metres high, but the archaeologists believe that an upper floor is missing, and the original tower was much taller. It is assumed that the tower must have been built at the Acropolis of ancient Sani, a city flourished until the Roman Empire. Others believe that the tower was used in the past as an observation post, where local people used to watch for approaching pirates. Set on a low hill, which forms a natural amphitheatre, the Tower provides the backdrop for the famous Sani festival.

One of the most beautiful chapels is that of Panagia Faneromeni in N. Skioni, the story of which is really interesting. According to the local tradition of the 16th century, one of the villagers saw a light coming from the sea and approaching the coast. He thought that they were pirates so he ran into the village to alert his fellow villagers. In the morning, when the light reached the shore, they saw that it was a large piece of marble, with Virgin Mary painted on it, floating on the sea surface. The villagers were impressed by the miracle and asked the Turkish Bey of the area to allow them to build a chapel to house the picture. The Bey refused, and as it is said, he threw the picture down and began to trample it. The image suddenly became soft as clay and trapped Bey’s feet, not letting him escape. After regretting his actions, the Bey apologized to the villagers and he finally gave his permission to build this chapel. Nowadays, it’s a popular location for orthodox weddings due to its magnificent location.

A monastery that attracts the pilgrims of Christianty is the one of Saint John the Russian which is located in the great region of Pefkohori. It is on the road to Nea Skioni, on the mountainous side of Kassandra, Halkidiki, Greece. There, in a secluded area, full of trees, you ‘ll have the chance to enjoy the silence, meditate and be part of the devout atmosphere. Religion enthusiasts and meditation lovers will get to know some things about the life of the monks and the history of the abbey. In Saint John the Russian monastery, a part of the relique of Saint John is kept. The whole imperishable holy relique of Saint John’s body is kept in the church of Saint John the Russian, in Prokopi of Evia Greece. Saint John was born in about 1960, in the area of today’s Ukraine, and his parents were Christians. He took part in the Russian-Turkish war and was sold as a slave to a Turkish army officer. The Saint lived in the officer’s stable with the animals and he walked barefoot. He worshiped God and wanted to offer his help to the people. After his death, it was found that his body remained intact and imperishable. Saint John the Russian is believed to have performed many miracles during his lifetime and after his death as well.

The region of Kassandra and Halkidiki in general has many more churches and chapels to be explored as well as Byzantine Monuments. In the front desk departments of Flegra Collection, our agents shall provide you with the information you need to discover our paradisiacal Halkidiki.