Vergina and Pella

Travel Stories - Greece

introduction

It took quite some effort this morning to come to Vergina from the place where I have camped (Magrypialos). In the last bus, the driver, who speaks a little German, points to the signs of the archaeological site. It is just past 9 o'clock when I enter the premises and pay the entrance fee in a parking lot. It’s dark in here and looks more like a metro entrance than a museum. In a small room I show my ticket and put my big bag down.

My eyes first have to get used to the darkness in the space that I am now entering. On the right is a row of tombs with beautiful stone operations but I choose to read a piece of information panel about this site. Dark corridors in a circulair building which contains numerous dark and golden information panels which makes the total even more ominous. Here and there stands an information panel alternated with glass trays with found objects in it.

The most impressive are the armor (uniform), helmet, shield and golden wreath of Philip II. But also a golden diadem, a lot of utensils and crumbled weapons.

The Royal Tombs of Vergina:

Vergina acquired quite recently celebrity after a major archaeological discovery was made here by a Greek professor on 8 November 1977. During excavations outside the village, people discovered access to an intact grave. Among other things, a skull emerged of which the eye socket was damaged, according to many the proof that this was the grave of King Philip II (father of Alexander the Great) who lost his eye when he was hit by an arrow.

He was killed in Vergina during the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra. The bones lay in a beautiful golden box, decorated with the symbol of the Macedonian sun (the symbol was used by Alexander the Great in all its realm.). The discovery seemed to confirm that Aigai had been here, the first capital of the Macedonian kingdom, which was previously believed to be identifiable as the city of Edessa.

The finds from this and other royal graves were exhibited for a number of years in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. In the year 2000, the finds were transferred to Vergina where they were exhibited in the immediate vicinity of the Royal Tombs. The so-called Sun of Vergina is often seen on flags in the region.

I come first at tomb III, which apparently was the place for the son of Alexander the Great. The whole is excavated and slopes to a wooden staircase. You can still see the earth on both sides - below you can see the front of a building with a large white door consisting of two parts. Above this is a wide beam horizontally with beautiful frescoes.

I walk a bit closer and take a picture. I'll take another one when I suddenly hear someone coming and screaming. It turns out that you can not take pictures here which I really did not know. She asks me if I want to remove the photos but I can not do it in this pitch dark. I say I will do that at the exit later. From that moment on the woman is following me everywhere. I walk to Tomb II, the most important thing in the museum since that would be the tomb of former King Philip.

This does not differ much from Tomb III that I have just seen. I walk all the way down and am completely followed by one of the attention ladies. Tomb I and IV are much less interesting. Now it is still an art to come out without having to erase my two photos. Suddenly I stand outside in the light and so decide not to eat my sandwich on one of the benches, but to walk through the town. I doubt that I will stay here because it is still very early. I have the whole day to travel further. I walk past some commercial eateries and decide to walk to the center.

There seem to be more tombs here, but I have seen enough. In the park in the middle of the town I sit on a bench and take out the sandwich that I bought in Agia Triada and my salami. After that I order a cup of coffee on the terrace among the locals. Then I have to wait more than an hour at the busstop for a bus to Veria.

Vergina-Pella-Archeology-Alexander-the-Great-birthplace-Greece

Little Jerusalem and pella

About 20 minutes later I drive into the city that lies against a mountain and they also sometimes call "little Jerusalem" because of its large amount of churches. We drive past a beautiful panorama park with a view over the whole valley until we stop at a small bus station that has been completely surrounded by buildings.

Via Halkiodona I get into another bus taking me to Giannitsa (Pella). I’m dropped along the road and the busdriver points me the direction where I have to walk. It is about a kilometer's walk in the heat and I arrive somewhat exhausted on the site of Pella which is the birthplace of Alexander the Great. There are two people in a small house and I only buy a ticket for the site (not for the museum).

Pella:

The city of Pella is first mentioned by Herodotus for the Macedonian expansion and the war with the Thracian king Sitalkes. It is considered at the beginning of 4th century BC as the largest city in Macedonia. It soon became the capital of the kingdom and renowned Greek artists were attracted. It took over the place of Aigai (Vergina).

The city was best known since Alexander the Great was born here. In 168 BC the city was attacked and partly looted by Roman soldiers. After the reorganization of Macedonia by the Romans, Pella became the capital of the third district and possibly also the seat of the Roman governor. Located on the Via Egnatia Pella was thus an important city on the road between Dyrrachium and Thessaloniki.

Cicero stayed there in 58 BC, but the seat of the province was transferred to Thessaloniki at this time. For unknown reasons, possibly due to a catastrophic earthquake, the city declined at the end of the 1st century BC. Emperor August let Italian farmers settle here whose country he had confiscated in Italy to hand out to his veteran fighters. The decline of the city, despite the colonia as a convalescence, soon sets in. In Byzantine times, this place of second rank is occupied by a fortified settlement.

The palace of Pella is made up of several large juxtaposed architectural units. The size of the whole shows that the Aigai Palace is not only a royal residence, but also a government building that housed part of the administration of the kingdom. South and lower than the palace, the actual city stretches out, conceived according to a Hippodamic street plan. The streets were equipped with gutters and drainage channels to drain the water from private houses. In the city center lies the agora, which is an square from 200 m from east to west and 181 m from north to south.

The various large dwellings excavated south of the agora are indicated by the subjects of the rich mosaic floors that adorn their banquet halls: the house of Dionysos, the home of the abduction of Helena.

First I look across the almost empty terrain - I only see a lot of rocks and stones and some pillars in the distance. Then I start my walk through the heat over the site. Shadow is not here unfortunately. Later on, a piece has been reconstructed and you can see the foundations of the houses of the early city of Macedonia, Pella.

The central square, the Agora is also not entirely recognizable only from aerial photographs. I walk around, sniff in the nice outside air and then reach the parts that are covered. Here are the beautiful mosaic that I have seen on pictures although there are also in the museum below. Made during the time that King Archealos was in power here, between 413 - 399 BC.

They are images of mythological scenes and have been found in both private houses and public buildings. I walk past two olive oil pots and pick up my big bag again.

sirtaki

At 15:00 I walk down the site and ask if there are rooms for rent in the village next to Pella. No, you will really have to go back to OR Giannista OR Halkidona for a place to sleep. I decide to walk back and take the first bus that is coming no matter where. I'm just 20 meters on the road or a local stops next to me and tells me that I have to throw my big bag in the trunk and get on board. An old Greek man brings me to the eatery which is no more than an eating car and some chairs and tables.

The owner asks where I want to go and I do not want to explain my plan and say "Haklidona". That bus will only arrive in 45 minutes. I decide to buy a sausage with bread and tomato, onion and fries for 2.50 euros. At 3:50 pm the bus arrives in the direction of Thessaloniki and I wave goodbye to the gentlemen who were dancing the “Sirtaki” on rock hard music from a car.

Back on the central square in Haklidona I look around me watching signs for hotel, hostel, guesthouse or rooms. But nothing of that. I decide to walk out of the street and find a hotel. I haggle the price down from 25 euro to 20 euro and fall down on my bed. I made it.

tips & advice (2015)

Vergina, Pella and also Halkidona do not have a bus station. Veria has one but is really hidden away. Ask at which local bus stop you are for which destination you need. Often they do not know what time the bus comes and a time table is lacking.

Vergina - Veria - Halkidona: the trip from Vergina to Veria takes perhaps fifteen minutes and costs you 1.60 euros. From Veria buses often go to Thessaloniki and you can take them to Halkidona. This takes about an hour and costs 4.20 euros. You get out on a square where you only have to cross the road to the bus stop to Pella.

Halkidona - Pella: you must take a bus in the direction of Giannitsa and this trip takes 15 minutes. Costs 1.60 euros. Where you need to get out the bus turns on a dusty piece of asphalt - you can walk up to the site here.

Halkidona - Thessaloniki: from the center of the city there are regular buses to Thessalonki. The price is 1.30 euros and the ride takes about half an hour.

Name: Hotel Kornilios (2 stars) - HALKIDONA

Price: 20 euros (single)

Phone nr. : 2391023888

Website: www.hotelkornilios.gr

Content:

This chain of hotels appears to have three of those (one near the site "Pella"), but fortunately I stayed the cheapest - with 2 stars. The hotel is tucked away along the road between Edessa and Halkidona at about 2 to 3 kilometers from the latter city. It has a fairly large parking area and looks a bit out-dated from the front. There is a small lobby inside and a large breakfast room (5 euros).

There is a lift (there are four floors) and the room I had was fine. Large with two single beds, a hallway and a large toilet shower. There is WIFI, there is a TV and towels, soaps and shampoo are available. The shower is hot. For this price it is really a bargain.

Spending time:

You can both visit the two sites Pella and Vergina in one day. It is annoying that you have to wait a long time for a bus. And the question is where you will spend the night.

Name: The Royal tombs of Vergina

Price: 8 euros (2015)

Name: Pella

Price: 3 euros (excluding museum)(2015)