Excursion back in history to the Macedonian Kingdom of Alexander the Great and Philip II
Get to know the imperial capital, the ancient city where Alexander the Great was born and raised and where the great philosopher and tutor Aristoteles was invited to educate him. The archaeological treasures of the glorious Macedonian Kingdom of Alexander the Great and his father Phillip II, as detailed by Herodotus, invite you to a unique roadtrip to history. The excursion travels you to the ancient greek, byzantine and modern history bringing back in light the lost prestige of Aigai, the first city of the Macedonians. Discover the museum of Aigai; a World Heritage site of UNESCO, against the natural beauty of the area and the view of the Macedonian plain that travels our eye till the end of the horizon.
Highlights
- Museum and Archaeological site of Pella
- Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Vergina museum)
Starting Point and Departure
- Starting point: Mediterranean Village Hotel & Spa (Conference Venue) 08:00
Excursion Duration
- 7 hours (2.5 hours on the road)
Description of the Excursion
We depart to Pella with our private air-conditioned bus along with our friendly trip attendant-archaeologist, at 08:00 from the conference venue.
The distance is about 50 km and lasts about 45’.
We reach Pella, which in antiquity used to be a port, where we visit the new, modern museum as well as the archaeological site with the unique mosaics. In the archaeological site, we can admire the ancient market of the city, the mosaic of the “Abduction of Helen” and the “Amazonomachy” (the battle of Amazons). In the museum, there are exposed objects and artifacts from the daily life of the people; characteristic signs of the lifestyle in antiquity.
Next, we reach Vergina where we visit the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai, situated within the borders of the village. The characteristic Golden Larnax (funerary casket), an urn with the cremated remains of Phillip II is marked with a 16-rayed sun, the symbol of Macedonia. The Sun of Vergina (or Star of Vergina), which is the characteristic symbol of the Argead Dynasty (of King Phillip II and Alexander the Great) was found together with the excavations that brought back to light his father’s Royal Tomb. 4 of the sun rays represent the 4 classical elements and the other 12 sun rays represent the 12 Olympian Gods. Admire the golden oak wreath that Phillip II had during his funeral pyre, military armors, various grave goods, the other tombs that were brought back to light, and a small sanctuary, the Heroon.
Later, we enjoy our lunch break with the option of eating in a restaurant with greek traditional flavors.
We depart for Paralia at around 14:30p.m and we are back after an hour (around 15:30p.m).
Included in the Price
- Round-trip transportation to Vergina and Pella
- Certified English speaking tour guide during our trip
- Certified English speaking tour guide in the museum of Vergina and in the museum and the archaeological site of Pella
- Basic travel insurance (during transportation)
- Entrance fee to the Museum of Vergina and to the museum and the archaeological site of Pella
- Lunch Pack
Not included in the Price
- Cost of lunch at the restaurant