Places to visit around our hotel
Near our Mansion you will find a variety of magnificent places to visit during your stay.
Our hotel is located in a central point of the map of the village, just 20 meters from the church and 80 meters from the village square where the local events of Makrinitsa take place.
If you want to visit the nearest beach, you will be there in just 20 minutes by car. But the most beautiful beaches of Pelion are 45 minutes away by car, some of which are Ai Giannis, Papa Nero, Milopotamos and Agioi Saranda. One beach also worth seeing is Damouchari, 40 minutes away, where part of the movie Mamma Mia was filmed.
Travel to Makrinitsa
The balcony of Pelion: A trek to picturesque Makrinitsa.
Makrinitsa is a traditional and picturesque settlement of Pelion. Eleftherios Venizelos, when he visited it in 1934, called it the “balcony of Pelion”, and not without reason, since it is famous for its excellent view of the city of Volos and the Pagasitikos Gulf.
Makrinitsa is built at an altitude of 300 m. to 850 m. Approaching from Volos and 3 km. before we arrive, we have in front of us the view of the whole village. A sign just before the central square informs us that it was built in 1204. The village stands out for its architectural physiognomy, its well-preserved and restored mansions, its picturesque and masterly cobbled streets and the green landscape with plane trees, chestnut trees, walnut trees and beech trees.
For those who do not know it, in Makrinitsa in 1969, in the Melanthi Hotel, most of the indoor scenes of the film “The teacher with blonde hair” were shot, starring Aliki Vougiouklaki, Dimitris Papamichael, Angelos Antonopoulos, Pantelis Zervos and Spyros Kalogirou.
To get from Volos to the village there are two roads. All tourist guides may suggest the narrow and busy road that leads after many turns to Portaria (14 km) and from there another 2 km to Makrinitsa 16 km, but there is a much shorter route. You can therefore go up from Volos by going up the K. Kartali street (one way). Then the signs will direct you to Eleftheriou Venizelou Street (two-way). Exactly where this uphill straight ends, once you pass the district of Ag. George if you go left, you pass the small bridge and go uphill without traffic on an asphalt road, reaching Makrinitsa in 7 km instead of 16 km. This road is much steeper though and you may need a strong car which moves with ease on steep roads.
Arriving at Makrinitsa the road ends at Brani Square, where you have to park and then enjoy the beautiful scenery on foot. A small waterfall also spills into the square. Next you will come across shops selling herbs and traditional spoon sweets. Then you enter the main pedestrian street with tourist shops, which ends at “Pazari”, the neighbourhood which includes the main square with its plane trees, small tables and the church of St. John the Baptist (built in 1792).
Behind the church you will cool off in the marble fountain “Lions” or “Immortal Water”, a work of 1809 which has three bronze lion heads. Water comes out of three bronze lion heads and pours into a fine cistern surrounded by a low railing.
After the old café, a cobbled street will lead you to the quarter of Aghios Triada, where the tower of Axela stands out.
The “Museum of Folk Art and History of Pelion” which is housed in the Topali mansion, is worth a visit to, with numerous folklore exhibits from all over Pelion, such as a collection of traditional costumes, books, old photographs, tools, heirlooms, heirlooms, firmania, jewellery, the banner of 1878, weapons, tsipouro making accessories and a stunning collection of works by the popular Pelion painter N. Christopoulos (with themes of tarsanades, boats and boatmen).
