Area info

A bit of info and tips concerning the wider area. Feel free to google for more!
Neoi Poroi is located in the southern part of Macedonia and belongs to the Prefecture of Pieria. Its capital is the town of Katerini. Pieria is the smallest prefecture within Macedonia. The name Pieria originates from the ancient tribe and the ancient country of Pieris.

In Pieria, there are many sites of archeological interest, such as Dion, Pydna and Platamon Castle.

I would recommend DION, a large ancient site deriving its name of Zeus (or Dias). It takes half a day to cover, so get going early, if possible.
Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and throne of the ancient Greek gods, is located in the southern part of Pieria. It’s possible to wander around on the lower part of it. For the ones who are interested to hike to the peak, it takes about two days to do so (there are two camps where the hikers can spend the night). But you should have proper gear with you, it’s no picknick!

THESSALONIKI is the closest city and airport (about 110 Km from N. Poroi). It’s the second largest city of Greece and retains several Ottoman and Jewish structures as well as a large number of Byzantine architectural monuments. Its renowned for its rich, Anatolian inspired cuisine and has also some fantastic museums, such as the Archeological and Byzantine Museum.

VERGINA is a definite must see, with one of the most magnificent archaeological sites and museums in Greece, housing the tomb of King Phillip II., father of Alexander the Great. We are certainly going to pay it a visit and if you should like to join us, we can stop by at my mother’s village and have lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the area.

For the ones who want to discover more beaches there is the peninsula of Chalkidiki, located east of Thessaloniki ,

Accommodation

Neoi Poroi and the neighboring village Platamonas offer a multitude of hotels and bed & breakfast like accommodations (i.e. rooms with a small kitchen). Please make sure to book asap, since July is the peak season and it might turn out difficult to find something.

We have selected a few options for you, but please noticed that these are mere suggestions. The decision is up to you and of course you can choose to look further. Some good websites concerning that are www.booking.com, www.hotels.com,

Our suggestions:

EVILION. A four star hotel, with all the comforts. Mika will be staying there from Thursday before the wedding and I will join him after the wedding. Here are the prices the owner (Dimitris Topalidis) offered us: the Double Room is 100 EUR per night, the Triple Room is 130 EUR (it can accommodate up to 4 persons, let’s say two adults and kids). The Suite is 145 EUR (two separate rooms for 4 persons). The prices all include breakfast and a dinner-buffet (the buffet is included as a courtesy by the owner). The site: http://hotel-evilion.com/ PLEASE REMEMBER TO MENTION THAT YOU ARE BOOKING FOR MARIA’S AND MIKA’s WEDDING or you will be charged with regular prices! Book via Email to info@evilion.gr or via the online form on the site “Online Buchung” (don’t be discouraged by the German text). The owner’s mobile: 00306944265705

HOTEL MANOLAS. And no, we are not related! A lovely two star hotel, it has been just completely renovated. The Double room is 75 EUR (for a couple). The triple room for a family with one or two children under 10 would pay 80 EUR. The triple room for three to four grown ups would cost 110 EUR. All prices include breakfast! Talk with Christina through manolash@otenet.gr or send a fax to the number on the site. PLEASE REMEMBER TO MENTION THAT YOU ARE BOOKING AS OUR WEDDING GUESTS! The site: http://www.hotelmanolas.gr/en/hotel/

HAUS ALEXANDER probably the cheapest option so far! The double room is 50 EUR and every extra person is charged by 6 EUR extra. It´s a self-catering house, which means no breakfast, but there is a fridge in every flat. It´s not luxurious, but neat and clean. Also, it is run by Germans, so the site comes in German, but don´t be discouraged. http://www.greece-urlaub.de/index.html

Castle Camping, for the ones who would prefer a simpler style. There are spaces for tents, but also bungalows for rent. We cannot state prices, so if you are interested, please contact them directly. Please make sure to have a car, if you choose this option, because it is a bit far from Pori. Here is the site, which has all the necessary infos: http://www.castlecamping.gr/gbfacilities.htm

Hotels Stilvi & Eden; both sites do not really mention prices (Stilvi has some prices on the Greek page, but they differ from prices we saw on a hotel-booking site we found), so the best thing is to get directly in touch with the owners and simply bargain about the prices! Please find both links in the "useful link" section.

We are currently looking for more cheaper options. It´s not that there aren´t any, but simple Bed & Breakfast lodgings usually don´t advertize, since it is common to drive there and get a room on the spot. We will update you about more!

A few words

Dear Friends & Family!

We finally decided to take the big step and get married. Since organizing a wedding from a different country and with guests arriving from basically all over Europe takes a bit of organizing, taking the most important information and putting it together in a blog sounded like a good idea.

In case you have questions etc. feel free to post them or mail us.

It will be our delight to share this happy day with you!

M&M