Chalkidiki

Chalkidiki is a beautiful peninsula and regional unit in Greece, located in Central Macedonia. It is surrounded by the warm waters of the Aegean Sea and is known for its stunning landscapes. The area includes the autonomous region of Mount Athos, which is found at the very eastern tip of the peninsula.

The capital of Chalkidiki is the town of Polygyros, situated in the center of the peninsula. However, the largest town is Nea Moudania. Each year, many visitors come to Chalkidiki to enjoy its sunny beaches, charming villages, and rich history.

People have lived in this area for thousands of years. Ancient Greeks built important cities here, and today visitors can still see ruins and other reminders of the past. Chalkidiki offers a mix of natural beauty, history, and fun activities for everyone to explore.

Name

Chalkidiki, also spelled Halkidiki or Chalcidice, gets its name from an ancient Greek city called Chalcis located in Euboea. People from Chalcis settled in Chalkidiki a long time ago, around the 8th century BC.

Geography

Chalkidiki is a large peninsula in the northwestern Aegean Sea. It looks like a hand with three "fingers" or "legs". From west to east, these are Kassandra, Sithonia, and Mount Athos. Mount Athos is special because it has many monasteries and its highest peak is 2,033 metres tall. The "fingers" are separated by two gulfs, the Toronean Gulf and the Singitic Gulf.

Chalkidiki borders the area of Thessaloniki to the north. It is surrounded by the Thermaic Gulf on the west and the Strymonian Gulf and Ierissos Gulf on the east. The Cholomontas mountains are in the north-central part, with the highest peak reaching 1,165 metres. There are a few rivers and islands, including the inhabited islands Ammouliani and Diaporos.

The largest towns are Nea Moudania, Nea Kallikrateia, and the capital Polygyros. There are many summer resorts along the beaches, such as Yerakini, Psakoudia, Kallithea, Chanioti, Pefkochori, Nikiti, Neos Marmaras, and Ouranoupolis. In winter, Arnaia is popular for its beautiful architecture and mountain views.

Climate

Chalkidiki has a mainly Mediterranean climate, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Snow may fall in winter but does not stay long, and thunderstorms can happen in summer. Some places, like Neos Marmaras, have a hotter, drier climate.

History

Further information: Chalcidian League

Further information: History of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)

Ancient

Main articles: Chalcidian League, Olynthus, and Macedon

The first Greek settlers arrived in this area from Chalcis and Eretria, ancient Ionian cities in Euboea, around the 8th century BC. They founded cities such as Mende, Toroni and Scione. Later, people from Andros founded cities like Akanthos. Chalkidiki was important during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Stageira was the birthplace of the philosopher Aristotle.

Later, the whole area became part of Macedon under Philip II, and Aristotle taught Philip's son, Alexander the Great. After Alexander the Great passed away, the area was ruled by different leaders. Eventually, it became part of the Roman empire.

Medieval

For many years, Chalkidiki was part of the Byzantine theme of Thessalonica. In 885, Mount Athos was set aside for monks, and no ordinary people were allowed to live there. With support from a leader named Nikephoros II Phokas, the Great Lavra monastery was built. Today, over 2,000 monks live there, coming from many countries.

After a brief time under others, the area was taken over by the Ottomans in 1430. During this time, Chalkidiki was known for its gold mining.

Modern

In 1821, the fight for Greek independence began, and people from Chalkidiki joined in. They were led by Emmanouel Pappas and others. The fight was slow and not very organized. The area was later taken back by the Ottomans, and many villages were damaged.

Finally, Chalkidiki became part of Greece in 1912-1913. After that, many people from places like East Thrace and Anatolia moved to Chalkidiki.

In the 1980s, tourism grew and became more important than farming. In 2003, leaders from the European Union met in Porto Carras to discuss an important plan for Europe.

Ancient sites

• Acanthus (near Ierissos)
• Acrothoi
• Aege
• Alapta
• Aphytis (Afytos)
• Apollonia (near Polygyros)
• Cleonae (Chalcidice)
• Galepsus
• Mekyberna
• Mende
• Neapolis, Chalcidice
• Olophyxus
• Olynthus
• Palaiochori "Neposi" castle
• Polichrono
• Potidaea
• Scione
• Scolus
• Sermylia (Ormylia)
• Stageira
• Spartolus
• Thyssus
• Torone
• Treasury of the Acanthians
• Xerxes Canal

Archaeology

In June 2022, archaeologists found an old, curved sword near the ruins of a monastery on the coast of Chalkidiki. They also found signs of a fire, many old pottery pieces from the 1300s, and other weapons like axes and arrowheads.

Economy

The peninsula is well-known for making olive oil and growing green olives. People there also make different kinds of honey and wine.

Chalkidiki has been a favorite place for people to visit in the summer since the late 1950s. Back then, visitors from Thessaloniki would stay in local homes for their holidays. Soon after, people from Austria and Germany began coming too. Tourism grew a lot in the 1970s, and now there is a golf course with plans for more in the future.

Long ago, leaders like Philip II of Macedon took gold from this area. Recently, mining for gold and other minerals started again, with companies like Eldorado Gold from Canada getting permission to work there. Some people worry that mining might hurt the environment and tourism.

Administration

The Chalkidiki regional unit is divided into five municipalities:

• Aristotelis
• Kassandra
• Nea Propontida
• Polygyros
• Sithonia

Before 2006, Chalkidiki had provinces, but they are no longer used today.

Population

The area of Mount Athos, which is often thought of as part of Chalkidiki, had 1,746 people living there in 2021. Most of these people are Orthodox Christian monks who live in monasteries.

Television

Chalkidiki has some local television stations. One is called TV Halkidiki, based in Nea Moudania. Another is Super TV, also located in Nea Moudania.

Transport

Chalkidiki has motorways, like the A24 motorway, which connects big cities such as Thessaloniki and the "Macedonia" Airport with places like Nea Moudania and Kallithea. However, Chalkidiki does not have railroads or airports of its own. Instead, a bus system called KTEL helps people travel between the main towns.

In September 2018, there were plans to possibly extend Line 2 of the Thessaloniki Metro to better serve people living in some parts of Chalkidiki.

Notable inhabitants

• Paeonius of Mende, a sculptor from the late 5th century BC
• Philippus of Mende, a student of Plato and an astronomer
• Nicomachus, the father of Aristotle
• Aristobulus of Cassandreia, a historian and architect who lived from 375–301 BC
• Aristotle, a famous philosopher born in Stageira in 384 BC and passed away in 322 BC
• Andronicus of Olynthus, a leader appointed around 370 BC
• Callisthenes, a historian who lived from 360–328 BC
• Crates of Olynthus, an engineer who worked with Alexander
• Bubalus of Cassandreia, a horse racer in 304 BC
• Poseidippus of Cassandreia, a comic poet from around 310–240 BC
• Erginus from Cassandreia, who won a music competition around 260 BC
• Konstantinos Doumbiotis, a fighter in the Greek War of Independence from 1793 to 1848
• Stamatios Kapsas, another fighter in the Greek War of Independence
• Xenophon Paionidis, an architect born in 1863 and passed away in 1933
• Manolis Mitsias, a well-known singer
• Sokratis Malamas, a singer born in 1957 in Sykia
• Paola Foka, a singer from Sykia born in 1982