In Details
Version 1 for ages 11-15
The excursion starts with a visit in the ecclesiastic and then in the folklore museum, where you can admire the beautiful church, the picturesque square, the stone bridge, the cobbles streets and the historical churches of the village.
You start off the central square of the village and you ride your bicycles. Your first stop is the renovated but historical Monastery of Timios Prodromos, which is only 4 km from the village of Anatoli. You will get to known about the renovated monastery, which had been built out of stones back in 1500 A.C., but also the well conserved church with its rare icons and the exquisite surrounding space. In the following, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of the nuns, to listen to them and to be toured in the monastery’s farm, so as to view with your own eyes the biological methods of cultivation, the mountainous breeding, the way they have managed to be independent with their food and fanatic supporters of any ecological means of growing. You can always offer your help to the Monastery.
As you leave the Monastery be sure that apart from the glass of milk that will be waiting for you, you will also listen to words of wisdom, tradition, history and Christian love. In the following you return to the central square of the village, where you can have a short break to grab a snack or even to have a lunch in the local tavernas. As you hike you follow the path towards the south and you cross the old street that was built for the horses, which is now part of the National path O2 (which connects Kissavos to Pelion and to Olympus). The route is easy, suitable for children over 10 years old, very well signed and it passes through a forest path to end up in a cobbled street. After having hiked for almost two and a half hours you arrive at the historical village Metaxochori, which is built in an altitude of 200 m. It is one of the most beautiful villages of the area, with lots of traditional houses, most of which are mansions, a rich history and tradition, since in the past the people of the village developed an industry of silk, from where it took its name.
The excursion gets completed in Metaxochori. There you have the choice to have a break in the square of the village.
Version 2 for ages 7-11 years old
The excursion that has been described above can be amended in order to be more friendly towards children of younger age. More specifically, it can be reformed as follows:
By the end of the tour in the museums of the village and their surroundings, you are transferred to the monastery by bus. After the tour in the Monastery, the children can have some fun in the playground of the Monastery, which is equipped with novel games.
When the return back to the village, you head towards the area Panagia, so as to enjoy various cycling games in a skills’ track which will be waiting for them in the big playground. The place there is suitable for such type of activities.
Then, you have a break so as to eat something in the tavernas of the village. You are leaving full of memories, very happy and satisfied!
