# Naousa (Imathia)

Naousa is a city of 21,000 people (2016) in Central Macedonia (Greece).

## Understand

It is built like an amphitheatre at the eastern foot of Mount Vermio. The mountainous areas around the settlement are covered by rich vegetation, while the area of ​​Agios Nikolaos is declared as a Landscape of special Natural Beauty
The city lies on the eastern foothills of Vermio Mountains, one of the biggest mountain ranges in Greece, and west to the plain of Kambania (or Giannitsa). Naousa is surrounded by orchards producing peaches, apples, cherries and other fruits, while the jam brand name Naousa is well-known all over Greece. Naousa is also known for its parks (Municipal Park, Park of Saint Nicholas) and for its ski resorts (3-5 Pigadia and Seli).

## Get in

It is 22 km north of Veroia and 90 km west of Thessaloniki.
Naoussa is served by Naousa railway station on the Thessaloniki-Florina line, which connects the city with Thessaloniki and the rest of Northern Greece. It is also served by the suburban services to Thessaloniki and Edessa.

## See

* A trademark of the city is the Clock Tower in front of the City Hall. It is a donation of the industrialist Georgios Anastasios Kyrtsis, it was built in 1895 with alabaster and is 25 meters high.
* The Obelisk in the central square of the city was built in 2000 and completed in 2002. It has a height of 11 meters and is considered one of the ten tallest in the world.
* The city does not have old churches as they were all burned by the Turks in 1822. An exception is the small Temple of the Forerunner, which was miraculously saved. The oldest churches (Agios Georgios and Panagia) date from the 19th century and are three-aisled basilicas.
* Historical and Folklore Museum, Ag. Dimitriou 10, has exhibits of the cultural heritage of Naoussa and the surrounding area. The exhibits include local costumes of the city and the region, textiles, looms, weapons and jewellery.
* Wine and Vine Museum, 17 Chatzimalousi Street, at the house of Ioannis Boutaris, founder of the company of the same name. It is a traditional neoclassical building of 1908, which was the first winery in the city. At the museum the visitor can be informed about the history and the process of wine production in the area and about all the necessary objects around the wine.
* Vlach Folklore Museum, 23 Sofroniou Street, has exhibits from the life of the Naoussa Vlachs. Among other things, you will see looms, tassels and uniforms.

## Do

* 40.541122.0111 Seli. A winter sports resort in the southern slopes of Vermion Mountains.
* 40.642521.96692 Pigadia Snow center. On the western slopes of Vermion Mountains.
* 40.6190622.045863 Agios Nikolaos (3 km from the city centre). The springs of the river Arapitsa in dense vegetation of plane trees. Arapitsa supplies water to the city and irrigates the fertile lands of the whole area. In the local vegetation there are also wild native boxwood, lindens and oaks. The location provides organized sports facilities such as volleyball courts, basketball, tennis, football as well as a state-of-the-art indoor swimming pool of Olympic dimensions. There are also guest facilities with hotels and restaurants.

## Drink

The wider area of ​​Naoussa is famous for its wine production. The homonymous red wine Naoussa has received many awards in the country and abroad. It was one of the first wines in Greece to be released and bottled. The name of the special variety of this wine is xinomavro , which is a Designation of Origin of the highest quality (OPAP), and with special characteristics and taste that shape the "blank de noir" method.