The Castle of Platamonas and the settlement of Palaios Panteleimonas

Traveling by car on the Athens-Thessaloniki highway and arriving in the prefecture of Pieria one thing is certain: from any side of the road you are (on the rise or the descent) your gaze will fall to the Castle of Platamonas.

The medieval Castle, with about 10 centuries of age, functions as a "magnet" with its imposing presence, which takes another dimension in the nights, as its illumination works in addition to its undeniable glamor and charm. Platamonas Castle is considered a "trademark" for the prefecture and is probably the most important attraction of the area. Besides, together with the Castle of Kassandra, they were the "guards" of Thermaikos Gulf.

Built on the site of ancient Iraklia, the Castle passed into the hands of the Franks in 1204 and served the control of the passage from Macedonia to Thessaly. Subsequently, the Byzantines conquered it, making many additions, while the 14th century was followed by the occupation by the Turks. The fact that the Castle was not destroyed during the Ottoman Empire seems to be due to its strategic position. In 1770 he was captured for a short time by the Greeks, and was bombarded by Captain Stathouris in 1897 and abandoned by the Turks. During the Second World War, the Germans caused a lot of damage.

The castle is well preserved and impressive, welcoming and accessible to visitors, who are able to meet the three key features of medieval fortresses: the first enclosure, the second enclosure, which is the citadel and the central tower. Thanks to the restoration work done in recent years, the castle is not only visited by thousands of history buffs from around the world, but the hosts summer concerts and cultural events. "Visitors can see the walls, the central tower, which according to the inscription must have been built in the fourth decade of the 14th century, the churches are in ruins, the cistern and enjoy a spectacular view to the sea and Mount Olympus "Says the archaeologist, Vaggelis Papathanassiou, touring us at the Castle.

Just across from Platamonas Castle, on the slopes of Mount Olympus lies Palaios Panteleimonas, one of the most beautiful villages in Macedonia. It was built by Epirus craftsmen who, according to the tradition, also worked in many villages of Pelion. As a result, Macedonian architecture is "married" with elements of the mainland tradition

The village was gradually abandoned since the early 1960s and over a period of about 20 years. Since the mid-1970s and the outbreak of new-fashioned neo-romanticism in Greece began the resale of the houses of Palaios Panteleimonas.

Today, the settlement has been declared preservable, while most of the old houses have been renovated. Guests can walk to the picturesque cobblestone streets, admire the central square with its ancient plane trees, the old school that has been renovated, worship the old church of Agios Panteleimonas, eat spicy appetizers in the traditional tavernas and shop for the scenic shops local products and folk art.

On weekdays, some families with children, groups of young people and older people enjoy the dew under the plane trees in the village square, while on weekends the village is full of life. In the streets, especially in the summer months, there is a "traffic jam", while the cameras take "fire", with visitors wanting to capture all the beauties of the settlement.

"Saint Panteleimonas must have been a troubled village during the Ottoman domination, with many kleftarmatolos, who have not many testimonies. The last Panteleimonite of the kleftokapathani was Giataganias, who was killed in a confrontation with Turks shortly before the liberation. His first home is still in the old village, "says Mr.Papathanasiou.