Step Back in Time: This Greek Village Is a Director’s Dream

Palaios Panteleimonas is simply a accepted Greek colony connected the slope of Mount Olympus. Credit: Greek Reporter

Perched connected a slope of legendary Mount Olympus is the picturesque Greek colony of Palaios Panteleimonas, which has been utilized respective times arsenic a movie location.

Perched 450 meters precocious successful a dense conifer wood connected the eastbound Mount Olympus slope successful the Pieria Region, Palaios (Old) Panteleimonas is simply a traditional Greek village with a large advantage: It is simply a mountainous village, but lies lone a fewer kilometers distant from the sea.

The Pieria colony has been made celebrated arsenic the determination for “Alexander the Great”, the 1980 movie by the precocious filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos, a Palme d’Or victor renowned for his atmospheric cinematic method. Since then, different Greek movies films person been filmed successful Palaios Panteleimonas.

Palaios Panteleimonas is simply a accepted Greek colony connected a slope of Mount Olympus. Credit: Greek Reporter

Village history

Palaios Panteleimonas was deserted successful the 1950s erstwhile residents decided to permission the upland and the harsh wintertime and determination to a much accessible determination with milder weather. So they moved to the adjacent formation and established Neos (New) Panteleimonas.

However, the Angelopoulos movie showcased the Greek village’s beauty, with the chromatic houses and the cobbled streets and alleyways, surrounded by conifer and Beech trees.

Several years aft the film’s release, an expanding fig of radical were funny successful exploring the aged village. Going up the 4-km winding roadworthy from the seaside Neos Panteleimonas. The visitors were fascinated by the earthy quality of Palaios Panteleimonas.

Palaios Panteleimonas is simply a accepted Greek colony connected a slope of Mount Olympus. Credit: Greek Reporter

Now a accepted settlement

By 1986, the Greek colony was listed arsenic a accepted colony and radical started moving in. They restored the aged deserted chromatic houses successful accordance with circumstantial gathering guidelines that sphere the archetypal architectural styles.

Visitor cars are prohibited to participate the village. A ample parking abstraction astatine the colony entranceway caters to the expanding numbers of visitors. Guest houses, tavernas and cafes emerged gradually emerged.

The houses are each made of chromatic from Olympus, collected by Macedonian artisans.

From above, you spot tiled roofs everywhere, with countless nests built by swallows. Perched connected steep slopes, the chromatic houses place the peaks of Olympus and the Aegean Sea.

Palaios Panteleimonas is simply a accepted Greek colony connected a slope of Mount Olympus. Credit: Greek Reporter

Cobblestone streets tally crossed the colony with diagnostic chromatic embellishments. The colony quadrate has a ample courtyard successful the mediate of which stands the Agios Panteleimon church, the aged school, which is present a impermanent location and a accepted cafe that serves accepted pies and sweets.

The courtyard is covered by a immense centuries-old level tree, 2 elms, lindens and dense vines. You tin peek astatine the entity lone done holes allowed by the affluent greenery.

The main cobbled thoroughfare that leads to the quadrate features shops selling accepted products, specified arsenic the section chromatic arsenic good arsenic the tsipouro. There is simply a confectionary store with small tables and tavernas serving accepted dishes.