Hotels in Macedonia

In Pella

As far as overnighting here, keep in mind that Edessa is a popular year-round destination for Thessalonians. It has only about 200 hotel/B&B rooms, and on summer and holiday weekends, most are taken. The nicest places in town are two small hotels run by the same family. The Varosi (www.varosi.gr [Greek only]; tel. 23810/21-865), is in a carefully restored 18th-century stone town house; the 10-room Varosi Four Seasons (www.varosi.gr; tel. 23810/51-440) is very popular with Greeks, more up-to-date, and styles itself a "boutique" hotel; doubles at both go from 70€-80€.

In Vergina & Environs

The 10-unit Dimitra (tel. 23310/92-900) and the 10-unit Vergina Pension (tel. 23310/92-510), both near the Vergina site, are both reasonably priced small family-run hotels; the Dimitra has studios with full kitchenettes. Neither takes credit cards, and staff is not absolutely comfortable in English; doubles run from 65€ at the Vergina, from 75€ at the Dimitra.

In Veria, the 37-unit Hotel Makedonia, 50 Kontogeorgaki (www.makedoniahotel.gr; tel./fax 23310/66-902 or 23310/66-946), has the bland ambience of a businessperson's, rather than a traveler's, hotel. Rooms come with air-conditioning and TVs. The new Veria, Km 6.5 on the Veria-Naousa Hwy. (www.veriahotel.gr; tel. 23310/93-112), gets a fair amount of tour business. The hotel is set back from the highway just enough to make traffic noise manageable. Although staying here makes exploring Veria itself a miniexcursion, you may find the pool so welcoming that you never leave. The rooms are standard Greek-hotel quality, but most have balconies as well as air-conditioning and TVs. Both the Makedonia and the Veria usually offer doubles from 60€ to 100€.

In Dion

For accommodations, see also accommodations in Litochoro (especially the Dion Palace Spa Hotel) and Ambelakia. An appealing place to stay in Dion is the little Safeti (www.safetis.gr; tel. 23510/46-272); unfortunately, the Safeti's four cozy and well-appointed self-contained apartments (from 65€) are usually snapped up well ahead of time for longish winter and summer visits to the Mount Olympos area by Greeks.