Photos

To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis.
Henri Cartier-Bresson

The Mount Pelion region is filled with traditional small villages, extremely friendly people and incredible scenery. Is it that combination or magic that makes it feel like you've been transported back in time?

Most of the traditional mansions in Pelion are built according to the Northern Greece style, which was brought to Pelion by refugees from Hepirus during the Ottoman occupation. These people were artists in stone and building, and they created most of the churches in Pelion, stone arched bridges, the cobble stone paths and the buildings. In Pelion you will find that several mansions were built according the Egyptian style, with simple lines, symmetrical windows, iron balconies and marble details.Modern Pelion's twenty-four villages retain traditional Pelian architecture and construction, with stone buildings made out of expertly carved local grey, blue, or green slate and red clay. They are built on terraces on the slopes and offer stunning vistas of the surrounding slopes and the sea.
Houses are usually multi-storied and feature the characteristic Pelian oriel construction, with tall windows and abundant painted ornamentation. Pelian tradition calls for three-level houses, with the ground floor used for work (tools, kitchen, storage, washing, weaving), the middle floor used for socializing (common rooms), and the top floor for private rooms (bedrooms). Heat is provided by fireplaces, the chimneys of which run through the walls to provide heat to the upper levels, whereas the top level, being well ventilated, provides for summertime cooling. Interior construction is usually of chestnut timber, stained dark brown and often elaborately carved. Many of the larger Pelian mansions (the archontiká or "lordly mansions") have been converted into boutique hotels and hostels. The largest of all the stone buildings and points of reference for the locals are the Pelion Towers. These are huge 300 year old buildings with exquisite visual characteristics that combine building elements of Mountain Pelion of the 17th, 18th and 19th century.