Activities

Activities – Visits – Tourings

Activities

The visitor first of all can enjoy the building of “Viraggas” and its Greek Macedonian Architecture with the amazing details as well as the splendid collections in its interior. Also, the environment of the Hotel with the splendid garden and the nature which unfolds before it. Each season, has its own beauty with its exclusive colours, perfumes and sounds. In the absolute quietness, you can enjoy the singing of birds and mostly, during springtime the melody of nightingales. The bird’s singing is followed by the sound of the running water that rolls just outside of the “Viraggas” wall fence.

The peacefulness and the calmness matches perfectly with a drink, coffee or even a special dish in one of the “Viraggas” sitting places or next to the mini garden pool.

In “Viraggas” you can participate or simply watch the preparation of frumenty, sweets of spoon, jam, bread e.t.c..
Walking through the village’s narrow streets you can see a few old stone houses of Greek Macedonian Architecture, some of them already rebuilt, some chapels, absolutely the splendid church of Evangelismos, the old distilery (rakokazano) of Pavlos Pantalis, the candle making e.t.c.

Outside the village, are many small chapels which for two days per year, celebrate with a big festivity , organized by the “konomades”.
On the village’s perimeter, exists enough trails for walking or mountainbike or 4*4 vehicle. In these trails, it is possible to meet a deer, a wild hog e.t.c.

The old road that goes to Taxiarchi and another one that goes to the cave of Osios Eythimios are splendid.
From the village, you can visit Taxiarchi, Megali Panagia, Arnaia, Ouranoupoli, Mount Athos and in a sort distance, the sandy beaches of Pyrgadikia, the coast of Salonikiou and Saint Nikolaos or Psakoudia.

Exhibits-Collections

Inside the main building of “Viraggas” a lot of old objects are excibited which constitute pieces from the private collection of the owner.
Appreciable, it is the collection from old oil lamps that embelish almost all the spaces of the building. Ceiling oil lamps (known as “Kapetanaiikes”) they are pieces mainly from the 19th century and from the beginning of the 20th. These lamps have been converted to electrical.

Their main body, is casted iron or bronze. Their hats are authentic old opalines-glasses and some of them are handpainted. These hats are very rare to find today and there are no spares. Their main body is from porcelain and in a few, from opaline-glass. Table oillamps are various in size and form and some of them are made from blown opaline-glass. Also, appreciable is the collection from old dishes and “mpakiria” (made of bronze). Various types of “Sinia”. A lot of utilitarian objects and tools. Old embroideries either from the village or from other places of Greece. Various eiconostases mainly from Mitilini. Old furniture, mirrors and “Kalimeres”.

Champions in traditional feasts

Deeply religious the people of Vrastama, scattered in the settlements-neighbourhoods that formed the nowadays village of Vrastama, had the need of common pray and entertainment. Thus, they built churches in each settlement-neighbourhood so we have reached in our days to have many churches and a feast day for each one. Upholding the tradition of first Christians, ate all together from the common table (meat with manestra – a kind of pastry ) prepared with taste by “Konomades”. Today this tradition is continued with more taste by the young people of the village having each year the revival of the old feasts.

Panigyria – Feasts

23 April Saint George
24 June Saint Ioannis
29 June Saint Apostles in Petsada
01 July Saint Anargyron
05 July Saint Athanassios Athoniti in Miliada
07 July Saint Kiriaki in Marlia
26 July Saint Paraskevi in Alonoudi
15 August Death of Virgin Mary
20 August Ag. Fotidas in Plana
23 August Nine days of Virgin Mary’s death in Ag. Nikolas of Ntrymona
31 August Deposit of Virgin’s Holy belt
08 September Birth of Virgin Mary in Panagouda in Kelli
15 October Saint Eythymios in Askiti’s