Veria

Veria stands on a cliff edge above the plain of Imathia, capital of its regional unit and one of the most historic towns of Macedonia. Layered with the remains of every era that has passed through the north, it is best known for the density of its Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches, dozens of small, often modest chapels tucked into the old streets, many preserving remarkable frescoes. The town was an important centre through Byzantine and Ottoman times, and the Apostle Paul is remembered here too: a monument known as the Bema of Saint Paul marks the spot where he is said to have preached to the people of ancient Beroea.

At the heart of the old town, beside the Tripotamos river, lies Barbouta, the former Jewish quarter and one of the best-preserved in Europe. Its cobbled lanes and tall, timber-framed mansions, once emptied by the deportations of the German occupation, have been carefully restored, and the synagogue built here in 1850 is among the oldest surviving in northern Greece. Nearby, the picturesque quarter of Kyriotissa rambles through a maze of narrow alleys, gardens and overhanging houses that reward slow, unhurried exploration.

Veria's greatest draw, however, lies a short distance to the southeast at Vergina, the site of ancient Aigai, first capital of the Macedonian kingdom and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, beneath a great earthen mound, an underground museum displays the royal tombs discovered in the 1970s, including that widely identified as Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, with its dazzling golden larnax and wreaths. It ranks among the most important archaeological finds in Europe and is comfortably visited in half a day from Veria.

The town and its surroundings are at their best in spring and autumn, when the plain is green or golden and the light is kind. Summers are warm and winters cool, with the slopes of Mount Vermio white above. Veria lies about seventy-five kilometres west of Thessaloniki and is easily reached by road or rail.