From the Heights to the Lowlands

The route covers a total of 181 kilometers and lasts about 3.5 hours by car or motorcycle, without stops. Visitors may travel it in parts or split it across different days. It is accessible all year round and ideal for those interested in gastronomy, culture, nature, the environment, and outdoor activities.

This 3.5-hour journey, from Thessaloniki to Arethousa via Lagadas, Vertiskos, Sochos, and Ano Vrasna, reveals the most authentic and unusual face of the hinterland: rare landscapes, traditional villages, lakes, castles, civilizations, dishes, and flavors that encapsulate the region’s secrets. Along the way, taverns, restaurants, and cafés invite you to stop, while numerous guesthouses and lodgings offer rest and hospitality.

Lake Volvi, an ecological and cultural palimpsest, mirrors the surrounding peaks in every season. Passing through the Macedonian Tempi and Rentina, the castle recalls centuries of history, while Nymfopetra reveals fossilized traces of a geological past. Life in Vertiskos, Ossa, Dorkada, and Sochos flows quietly, guided by the rhythm of nature and the wisdom of its people.

Local gastronomy reflects the beauty of the seasons and the authenticity of tradition. Saragli, walnut-filled rolls soaked in syrup, are among northern Greece’s most famous sweets, while Dorkada yogurt with honey and Sochos walnuts is a unique dessert. Tsironopita, a pie with salted fish and leeks, proves that taste knows no limits. Distinctive recipes feature Lagadas eggplants with tomato and feta, Arethousa beans with Sochos sausage, as well as tsigderosarmades and manti. In autumn, Sochos fills the air with the scent of chestnuts and festivals, offering chestnut soup or pork with chestnuts. Handmade Lagadas soutzoukakia and Sochos sausages with garlic and pepper add aroma and flavor to every table.

Local products such as Ossa cherries, Volvi olives (tsouvalates) and lake "liparies" fish, reflect the region’s culinary identity, while wine from the slopes of Vertiskos, with its intense aromas and forest fruit notes, pairs beautifully with convivial gatherings. All of these can be found in local shops. And when it’s time for celebration, the Sochos Carnival reminds everyone that tradition is alive—through music, dance, and plentiful wine.

This route reveals Thessaloniki’s closest countryside in a new light: agricultural, multicultural, inventive, deeply gastronomic—and always inviting you to return, alone or with friends.

Route Products

PDO Products: Batzos cheese, Feta, Kasseri, Manouri (Central Macedonia)

PGI Products: Vertiskos Hills Wine, Macedonian Wine

Specialties: Dorkada yogurt, Lagadas eggplants, Arethousa beans, Ossa cherries, Sochos chestnuts, tsouvalates olives, Sochos sausages, Lagadas soutzoukakia, Volvi fish and liparia

Route Delicacies

Stuffed carp: A traditional dish of lake gastronomy with rich flavor and unique aroma. The large fish is stuffed with rice, onions, raisins, and spices, creating a sweet-savory balance. Baked in the oven with bay leaves, it makes for an impressive dish, perfect for large gatherings, blending Macedonian tradition with refined taste.

Lagadas eggplants with tomato and feta: A well-known Greek dish, but in Lagadas it acquires a distinctive smoky flavor. The eggplants are lightly fried and layered in a baking dish with tomato sauce cooked with onion, garlic, paste, and herbs. Feta cheese adds a salty creaminess, while baking fuses the ingredients beautifully. Fresh mint and parsley on top give a refreshing finish.

Tsigderosarmades: A classic Macedonian specialty made with offal, rice, and herbs wrapped in caul fat and baked in the oven, also known as “papoudes.” The filling of sautéed onions, offal, rice, and fresh herbs is wrapped into small parcels, baked until golden, and topped with a yogurt cream, resulting in a rich and hearty dish.