Pella

Pella was the capital of the kingdom of Macedon at the height of its power, and the birthplace of Alexander the Great in 356 BC. It replaced older Aigai as the royal seat under King Archelaus, and grew through the fourth century BC into a wealthy, planned city set on a grid, connected to the Thermaic Gulf by a navigable lagoon. Today the sea has retreated and the site sits amid the flat farmland of central Macedonia, about forty kilometres northwest of Thessaloniki.

What makes Pella exceptional is its floors. The great houses of the city were paved with pebble mosaics, made from natural coloured stones set into intricate scenes of lion hunts, deer hunts and Dionysus riding a panther. Several survive in place among the excavated foundations, while the finest have been lifted into the museum. Walking the grid you can trace wide streets, colonnaded courtyards and the outlines of the agora, the commercial and civic heart of the ancient city.

Above the residential quarter stand the remains of the royal palace, a vast terraced complex overlooking the plain, recently the focus of a major restoration project. This was the world Alexander knew as a child, before he was tutored by Aristotle and set out to conquer the Persian Empire.

The Archaeological Museum of Pella, opened in 2009, ties the site together. Its galleries display the original mosaics, sculpture, everyday objects and grave goods, arranged to tell the story of Macedonian life, religion and kingship. It is among the best archaeological museums in northern Greece and worth as much time as the ruins themselves.

Pella is easiest to reach by car or organised tour from Thessaloniki, less than an hour away, or by regional bus towards Edessa. It works well as a half-day visit, often combined with the royal tombs at Vergina (ancient Aigai) further south. There is no reason to stay overnight at the site; most visitors base themselves in Thessaloniki or nearby Edessa and come for the day.