+30 697 643 8426 
Nymfaio Tour
Estimated Duration
8 Hours
Estimated Distance
430 Km
Nymfaio
A restored, traditional Macedonian mountain village, famous for its stonework and bear sanctuary, that appears as if out of a fairy tale
A Macedonian village located in a beautiful natural landscape below Mt Vernon (also known as Vitsi), Nymfaio is a setting straight out of a fairy tale.
An aristocratic, restored traditional settlement built at an altitude of 1,350m, it is one of the best winter holiday destinations in Greece.
You’ll find stately homes furnished with handmade furniture, enjoy excellent wine and delicious local delicacies, wander the streets of the village and explore the trails in the beech tree forest.
Nearby is the Arcturos Environmental Reserve, the only one of its kind in Greece, which protects bears and wolves. And just a few kilometres away is Florina, a city with a special ambience and immortalised in the films of the famous Greek director Theo Angelopoulos. Whatever season you choose to visit, this beautiful mountain nymph will captivate you.
Arcturos Brown Bear Sanctuary
ARCTUROS is a non profit, non governmental, environmental organization (NGO) founded in 1992, focusing on the protection of wildlife fauna and natural habitat, in Greece and abroad. The foundation of ARCTUROS was driven by constant need to solve the problem of bear and wolf imprisonment; a common occurence at the time. It was that need, which led to the creation of a complete action framework, under the umbrella of ARCTUROS.
Among other activities of ARCTUROS, priority has been given to scientific research as well as to providing environmental education and raising public awareness on matters such as biodiversity and viability, while practicing political pressure based on complete programs and solutions.
Vegoritida Lake
One of the largest natural lakes in our country, Vegoritida, although it has undergone significant alterations from human activities, is still one of the most important bird species in Northern Greece. Vegoritida is also referred to as Ostrovo Lake, while its other three names are Arnissa Lake, Kelly Lake and St. Panteleimon Lake.
It is located at the border of the prefectures of Pella, Florina and Kozani and is surrounded by the mountains Voras in the north, Vermio in the east, Skopos to the south and Askios to the west, while only 2,5 km to the east is Petron Lake. Vegoritida is the lowest point of the Zazaris, Cheimaditida and Petron lake complex, which is supplied with water through a canal and canal system, and there are four large streams: the Faraggi, Pentavrysos, Agios Athanasios and Arnissa.
The river basin of the lake reaches 911 sq. Km. Its direction is from the north-east to the south-west with a length of 12.5 km and a width of 5.5 km, while it is at an altitude of 512 m. In the past it covered an area of 68.000 acres and was the deepest lake of Greece with a depth that reached 75 m. But over the years the waters have diminished and now extends to an area of 44.300 acres with a maximum depth of 70 m.
On the shores of the lake are two large communities: Arnissa and Agios Panteleimonas, while around it there are the villages of Faraggi, Maniaki, Vegoras, Perea, Drosia, Xanthogeia and Agios Athanasios. Vegoritida, along with its nearby lakes, is what is left of the vast lake of Eordea, the extent of which was one million acres and its depth.
Xino Nero
It is a village in the municipality Amyntaiou, within the prefecture of Florina. The village is built at a height of 550 meters and is one of the main villages of the Prefecture of Florina. According to the 2011 census, the population of the village amounts to 1081 inhabitants. The main occupation of the inhabitants is agriculture and animal husbandry. It is 34 km from Florina and 5 from Amyntaio.
The village had been in the Ottoman Empire up to the start of the 20th century. It was ruled by Bulgaria after the First Balkan War, and became part of Greece after the Second Balkan War. During the First World War in August 1916 the village was briefly occupied by the First Army (Bulgaria). During the battles the church of the village was destroyed. After the Treaty of Neuilly, the village was returned to Greece
The Greek name of the village translates as ‘Sour Water’. Natural mineral water is currently bottled and traded by the “Pure Municipal Enterprise and Industrial Sour Water”, which is also responsible for the production of bottling while of course it sells soft drinks, with pan-Hellenic recognition. It is the most famous local product of the prefecture of Florina. Scientific research has exacerbated the healing effect of this water, mainly on the kidneys but also on the liver of humans. The water from the Sour Water sources is bottled in the automatic bottling plant that has been operating since 1958.. They belong to the category of cold hydrocarbon sources. This pleasant acidic property and the presence in normal proportions of calcium and magnesium salts classify them in the category of very important mineral waters. The purity and uniqueness of their taste is due to the natural enrichment of the sources with free carbon dioxide.