Daily Trip to Vergina by Cosmos Travel

Vergina: Homeland of the Macedonian Royal Tombs

Vergina is 13 km southeast of Veria, the capital of the prefecture of Imathia in central Macedonia. It is only 80 km southwest of Thessaloniki. The town is at the site of the ancient Aeges, the capital of ancient Macedonia. Vergina became world famous in 1977 when Manolis Andronicus discovered the burial site of the Macedonian kings and the tomb of King Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. The name of Vergina was proposed in 1923 by the Metropolitis of Veroia, Constantine II, who named it by the name of the legendary Queen Vergina before the capture of Veria by the Ottomans in 1433. From the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, it was considered that in the region of Vergina there were the summer royal palaces of the kings of ancient Macedonia where they tried to make excavations without finding the royal tombs. In 1977, Manolis Andronikos in “Megali Toumba” (Great Tomb) discovered four buried burial buildings, two of which were unspoiled. Many studies have been done since then on the findings of the Royal Tombs that eventually conclude that one of the Royal tombs belongs to Philippos II – father of Alexander the Great.

The Museum and the Findings of the Royal Tombs

A large number of dwellings have been found, many of which are works of art and are very valuable works of art. Many of them are made of gold, such as the famous larnaca with the incinerated remains of Philippos II. This larnaca carries the sixteen-rays of sun (or star) that is the symbol of the Macedonian dynasty. There is also a smaller shrine with the twelve-rays star with leaves and oak wreaths. In the place of “Megali Toumba” (Great Tomb) there is a museum where all the findings / graveyards of the graves beside the same tombs are displayed. Important findings of the Vergina Museum are: The golden urn and the wreath, the tomb of the Prince and the tomb of Persephone. In all of this, the star / sun of Vergina has a special symbolism. It consists of 16 rays where 4 represent the 4 elements of nature – earth, sea, fire & air – and the remaining 12, the 12 Gods of Olympus. Since 1996, UNESCO has included the archaeological site of Aeges in the World Heritage List.

The area of ​​Vergina

Vergina is located at the foot of the Pieria and in front of it lies the plain of central Macedonia full of fruit trees and it’s crossed by the Aliakmonas River. Very close to Vergina there are two hydroelectric and an irrigation dam that have been constructed by the Public Electricity Company in the gorge between the Vermio mountain range and the Pieria mountain range. The nature there is very beautiful full of plane trees, water and two artificial lakes crossed by the road bridge from Vergina to Veria. Veria, very close to Vergina (only 13 km), is built at the foot of Vermio and is full of Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments. In Veria there is an archaeological museum and an old market.

VIDEO of Vergina

Daily Trip by Cosmos Travel in Vergina

Cosmos Travel wishing to offer you the opportunity to visit the historical area of ​​Vergina organizes daily trips and gives you the opportunity to learn and admire the history and culture of the Kingdom of Macedonia that offers you this amazing destination! Our daily trip starts from Thessaloniki in the morning where we take the new highway Patras – Athens – Thessaloniki – Evzones and via Egnatia Odos we arrive in about one hour in Veria, which is only 13 km from Vergina. The route to Vergina from Veria passes through Aliakmonas water reservoir. When we get to Vergina you go to the “Great Tumba” area to admire the museum and graves of the Kings. After your visit to the archaeological site, we can visit one of the restaurants / taverns either in Vergina or Veria where you can have lunch. Later we start our return to Thessaloniki to the point where we pick you up. The average daily journey time is about 8 to 10 hours.