Shiny Greece
Dec 8, 20212 min read
1,6853
The Mountain Delta Protected Land
Authors
George Papadellis | SG Head
Panagiotis Papadellis | SG Team
Pinios Valley | Photo by: Kostas30781, Rodia Ampelona Septemvriou 03, 2016, CC BY-SA 4.0 | 23.11.2017
Delta Pineios Kissavos, one of the unique places of Greece, not widely known yet, goes against the mania that dissolves the traditional nature of the Greek countryside. It includes a) the ecosystem of the Pineios River Delta close to the village Stomio (Tsagezi), where the visitor can experience the variety of the protected fauna hidden among the river reeds, and b) the green mountain Kissavos (or Ossa) above Stomio (and also above the adjacent village Omolio). Mountainous settlements with many traditions, history, and color are scattered over the mountain.
Endless green full forests, of unique biodiversity, color all seasons of the year with thousands of hues. Waterfalls like the famous “Kalypso”, with the numerous international rapellers, which can be found over Kokkino Nero (with the sulfide healing waters), are scattered over the mountain. Castles with legends, such as of King Filoktitis whose life thrilled the tragic poet Sofoklis, are maybe in the ancient Melivia, above today’s Velika village. Old monasteries show the traces of the Mountain of Cells, of an abandoned monastic community oppositely to Agion Oros. Alive samples of the monastic tradition of Kissavos mountain are Komninios Iera Moni Kimiseos tis Theotokou & Agiou Dimitriou established in the middle of the 6th century on an ancient temple, and also Iera Moni Timiou Prodromou Anatolis of 1550 A.C.
Perched on the north-western side of Kissavos is the beautiful and lordly traditional village Ampelakia. The area is on the traces of a trade and cultural route which was short (1750 – 1812), but which left its signs until our days. A route that gave an over-time significant comparative advantage to the settlement, a prosperity that did not fray but which continued to grow. The cause for this prosperity was, on one side, the privileges that were granted from the Ottoman Empire to Austria with the Treaty of Passarowitz, and, on the other side, the tuber of an insignificant seed.
Trekking on Kissavos | Photo by: VasilisGkitersos, 21-10-2018. Πεζοπορία στον Κίσσαβο (42), cropped by Shiny Greece, CC BY-SA 4.0
Around 1750, Ampelakia experienced the development of a small industry that produced a dark red color, used to paint the threads that were sold to the market of Austria and other countries of Europe. In the course of time, what also took place was the development of the first cooperative movement in Greece, the Common Company and Brotherhood of Ampelakia, which contributed in the prosperity of the settlement, same with other Companies such as in Oia (Santorini), Makrinitsa (Pelion), Papingo (Zagori) and Panormos (Tinos).
Dohos is a small adults only boutique hotel on the east side of Mountain Kissavos, offering ample of tranquility in a unique combination of blue sea and green nature. The hotel offers standard deluxe rooms, attic deluxe rooms, maisonettes and a double deluxe hut, as well as a traditional restaurant, spa facilities and plenty of activities.
Panorama Suites & Spa is a lovely small adults only boutique hotel located at the foot of Kissavos mountain and just 50 meters from the turquoise beach of Stomio village facing the endless blue of the Aegean sea, Halkidiki and Olympus. The Resort offers 7 luxurious suites with private heated mini-pools, private gardens, indoor Jacuzzi, private saunas and amazing views of the Aegean sea.