It is only 12 kilometers northwest of Vergina, which gained world-wide renown with the discoveries made by Professor Manolis Andronikos there in the late 1970s. The incredible wealth of the site’s finds led to the conclusion that Vergina was actually the first capital of the kingdom of Macedonia, Eges.

The excavations brought to light the acropolis, well-preserved sections of the walls, foundations of Hellenistic houses, the palace, theater, a temple and, to the north of the ancient city, the cemetery.

However, the most important monument at Vergina is the complex of royal tombs, which were unearthed in 1977-78 in the present-day village. The largest of them belonged to Philip II, a smaller one to a young prince, perhaps Alexander, and the third – square in shape – to a woman.

Many funerary steles were found in the vicinity, bearing invaluable inscriptions, all of them in Greek.

Philip’s grave yielded a marble sarcophagus in which a solid gold larnax had been placed containing the ashes of the dead man and his golden crown. Round the box lay weapons, various vases and utensils bearing the royal seal.

Here, too, was buried one of Philip’s seven wives. Her bones were also gathered in a gold larnax, in which there was another gold crown, one of the most beautiful pieces of ancient jewelry ever found, and a gold-weave purple cloth decorated with flowers and birds, which is on display along with the other funeral gifts in the Thessaloniki museum. However, something else, something utterly unique was also discovered in the grave: a painting of a hunting scene on an Ionian frieze. It is a masterpiece the like of which had only previously been seen in works of the Italian Renaissance.

The Prince’s tomb is very similar to that of Philip. It, too, contains a painted frieze as well as a bed with gold and ivory ornamentation, surely one of the most elegant creations that has come down to us.

Finally, the cist tomb yielded a brilliant fresco depicting Pluto’s abduction of Persephone; this and the hunting scene are the only original works of any great painters of antiquity that have survived to the present.

Southwest of Veria, on the slopes of Vermion (18km.), lies the village of Kastanies, which is usually snowed-in during the winter. This is the site of the monastery of the Panagia Soumela, founded by refugees from the Pontos.

At Kato Vermio (26 km. from Veria), all that snow is put to good use at the Seli ski center (1.400 m. alt). A town noted for its waterfalls, its wine, its fruit and its Carnival customs is Naoussa. Siltuated 19 kilometers from Veria in a green, well-watered region, it is very picturesque with traditional houses and the Arapitsa River running through it. Near Naoussa is the village of Lefkadia, where Macedonian tombs and the remains of Hellenistic buildings have been found.

Finally, 9 km. northeast of Veria at Nea Nikomidia, excavations have revealed traces of a Neolithic settlement of the 7th millennium B. C., which is the oldest agricultural settlement along with Sesklo in Thessaly. The terra – cotta woman – shaped idols, as well as many frog figurines made of steatite are among the most interesting exhibits of the Veria Archaeological Museum.