Veria: As with many of the greek cities there are various myths about the origin of the name Veria (mainly because our ancient Greeks did not like gap in their history. The most popular mythological explanation is the one suggesting that the name comes from that of the nymph Veroi, the daughter of Ocean and Thetis, who after being born in the sea kingdom of her parents started wandering around and was so enchanted from our region that chose it as her abode and gave it her name.
Geographical location: With a population of approximately 50,000 and with a vivid activity in many fields, Veria is one of the most important towns of Central Macedonia. Built on the eastern slopes of mount Vermio, at an altitude of 50 m, it is located 72 km west of Thessaloniki. From here it is very easy to visit the marvelous royal tombs of Vergina, where Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, is buried or the Macedonian tombs of Lefkadia and the school where Aristoteles taught. Also within easy reach of the town are the ski resorts of Seli and Tria-Pente Pigadia.
Economy: The economy of Veria is mainly based on agriculture and trading. The fertile grounds of the region produce a variety of fruits and vegetables which are exported all around the world. Veria is also a very active export center, the main exported goods being fresh and preserved agricultural products, threads and cotton. Many of the goods exported through Veria come from other regions of Greece.
History: The traces of Veria are lost deep in time. The exact date of its founding is not yet known but American archaelogists have excavated the earliest European farming settlement, dating to the 6th or 7th millenium B.C., just a few kilometres outside the town; therefore making it safe to assume that it could in fact be one of the oldest towns on Earth! The oldest verified reference to Veria is the first book of Thucydides’ History where it is mentioned that the Atheneans, while on an expedition against Halkidiki, tried to conquer the town (without success). Throughout the 2,500 years of its history it has been one of the main commercial, cultural and administrative centres of Macedonia.
Churches: There are 48 Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches in Veria, 40 of them with extensive frescoes. Some of the churches date back to the 11th century, making Veria an important centre of Byzantine ecclesiastic architecture.
Traditional architecture: Apart from the wonderful churches one can also look forward to seeing examples of traditional Greek architecture. Since the modern town of Veria evolved over and around the centre of the old town, many parts of the old town have been destroyed. The ones that survived almost intact until today are the Jewish quarters, the Kyriotissa area and the residences of Kontogeorgaki st. All these are protected under law and every effort is being made for them to be restored and put into active use.The restoration and restructuring of the historic centre of Veria is one of the main concerns of the Municipality of Veria.
