Vourvourou () is a village near Agios Nikolaos, in the

Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; , alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos reg ...

peninsula of northern Greece. It is best known as a holiday destination.

History

In the 10th century, the area was known as the "land of the ''Vourvourioi''", and was granted to the Xenophontos monastery of

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

. In the 1615, the people of Agios Nikolaos acquired the land, but at the end of the 19th century the monks of

Simonopetra monastery Simonopetra Monastery (, literally: "Simon's Rock"), also Monastery of Simonos Petra (), is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece. It ranks 13th in the hierarchy of the Athonite monasteries. It is on the sou ...

sold it to Russian monks, with the result that the latter were forcibly driven away by the local inhabitants. Vourvourou itself is not a typical village, with no square or history. Rather it is a 'strip' of shops, tavernas and rooms to rent and is almost an exclusively seasonal area with few year-round residents. During the 1960s the teaching staff of the

University of Thessaloniki The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ( AUTh; ), often called the University of Thessaloniki, is the second oldest Tertiary education, tertiary education institution in Greece. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stagira (anc ...

developed a holiday resort in a private area also known as Vourvourou. Designed by Professor Thales Argyropoulos it has become well known for its environment-friendly design and respect for the natural surroundings and has become one of the most prestigious resorts of its kind in Greece. In 1974 excavation at the chapel of

Panagia Panagia (, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panayia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, Mother of God, used especially in Orthodox Christianity and E ...

in Vourvourou, uncovered ruins of what is probably the remains of the monastery of Ieromnimon.

Geography

Vourvourou is situated southeast of Poligiros on the eastern side of Sithonia peninsula, between the villages of Ormos Panagia and Sarti. The area contains numerous sandy beaches, small rock islands and caves. Mount Itamos is in the vicinity.{{cite web, url=https://www.greeka.com/macedonia/halkidiki/beaches/vourvourou/, title=Vourvourou, publisher=Greeka.com, accessdate=27 June 2024

References

Populated places in Chalkidiki