Where the Plain Reigns
The route covers a total of 85 kilometers and lasts about 1.5 hours by car or motorcycle, without stops and without a guide. It is accessible all year round and is ideal for visitors interested in local cuisine, culture, nature, and outdoor activities such as hiking, mountaineering, cycling, and countryside exploration.
In just 1.5 hours, the plain turns into a living painting, where the pink blossoms of peach trees in spring evoke the so-called “Greek Hanami.”
The journey begins in Veria, at the Lake of Agia Varvara, where the waters reflect plane trees and sky. It continues through the narrow passage of the Aliakmon River, a NATURA-protected wetland for birdlife and gentle outdoor activities. In Vergina, one can feel the grandeur of the Macedonian Kings, while Neokastro and the Metochi of the Prodromos Monastery provide moments of calm respite. The route moves on through Meliki, Neos Prodromos, Agia Triada, and Kypseli, with the Monastery of Agios Athanasios Sphinitsi, before passing by Kouloura and Nea Nikomedeia—one of the oldest Neolithic settlements in Europe—and finally Patrida, before circling back to Veria. For those wishing to stay overnight, the area offers numerous accommodations, along with tavernas and restaurants serving rare and authentic local dishes.
The gastronomy of the Imathia plain mirrors the land itself. Pies made with hand-rolled pastry and filled with nettle, spinach, leek, zucchini or local cheeses bring remarkable flavours to the plate. Nearby, Meliki okra cooked with local pasta and grated kefalotyri, braised pork with celery or leek, tender Imathia beef with manestra and trachana, and beef cheeks or oxtail are unique culinary offerings. Alongside them, flattened “xestimenoi” meatballs topped with a rich yogurt sauce have become a symbol of local identity. The experience is completed by spoon-preserved fruits such as cherry or sour cherry and the famous revani — scented with lemon and vanilla and soaked in golden syrup.
Local shops showcase the abundance of the land: fresh apples, peaches, plums, pears, cherries, kiwis, fruit preserves, PDO Macedonian cheeses, and unique local creations such as Plexouda cheese. Tsipouro, trahana, and the traditional retseli (fruits simmered in grape must) preserve ancestral wisdom in taste and technique.
Every stop along this route is like an open table, inviting you to discover the soul and history of the people of Imathia.
Route Products
PDO Products: Batzos cheese, Feta cheese, Kasseri cheese, Manouri cheese (Central Macedonia)
PGI Products: Wines of Imathia, Wines of Macedonia
Specialties: Apples, Peaches, Kiwis, Veal, Fruit preserves, Plexouda cheese, Meliki okra, Agios Georgios peppers, Trahana, Petoura pasta, Tsipouro
Route Delicacies
Vlach Minced-Meat Pie: A delicious Vlach-style minced-meat pie with leeks, wrapped in homemade pastry that browns in the oven. The filling is rich and aromatic, with sautéed leeks and lightly cooked beef mince, tied together with herbs and spices. The pastry becomes crisp, giving a wonderful texture. A traditional, hearty and mouthwatering pie, served warm at a family table or a friendly gathering.
“Xestimenoi” Meatballs: A traditional recipe of the region. Beef meatballs are baked with a rich yogurt sauce, herbs, and spices. Best enjoyed with handmade pasta sprinkled with grated cheese.
Veria Revani: Perhaps Greece’s most famous revani, and certainly the most traditional dessert of Veria. Made from semolina and vanilla, baked in large pans, then soaked in hot syrup until fully absorbed. Moist, golden, and fragrant.
Retselia: A clever, traditional preservation method of the fruits Imathia abundantly produces. Apples, quinces, apricots, figs, and even vegetables such as eggplants or zucchini are first soaked in limewater to maintain firmness, then simmered in grape must until glossy and velvety. Served as a dessert, sweet and aromatic.