About the village
Built at the foot of Mount Pelion and close to Volos, is Alli Meria, a lovely village in the Municipality of Portaria, which has been generously blessed by nature. Verdant vegetation seems to cover the village, while flowing waters complete the scenery thanks to the banks of Anavros stream that passes through and the scattered marble fountains. Visitors can admire great views towards the Pagasetic Sea and the city of Volos, walk the cobbled paths to discover hidden places and taste delicious local dishes at the taverns and grills that exist, while relaxing.
A village with history, Alli Meria has seen its name being referred in Mythology, as the myth says that here, Jason lost his sandal, fulfilling the oracle that the single-sandal man will take the throne from Pelias. The original name was Almeria, a word with Arab-Turkish roots and means pasture, and that’s because breeders appreciated this pasture and settled here in the early 19th century, performing various commodity trading.
The village has a lovely paved central square, with an old plane tree in the middle and lots of traditional taverns, next to the square stands the oldest monument in the village, the church of Agios Athanasios. Inside you can admire the carved iconostasis and frescoes while outside, you will be fascinated with the magnificent red bell tower and the exquisite surroundings. The village in celebration of Agios Athanasios on January 18th organizes a festival with traditional music.
Wandering through the upper district of the village, you will discover the neoclassical mansion of Ioanni Chatziargyri, standing proudly and surrounded by a tall stonewall. Continuing your walk you will find the chapels of Agion Apostolon, Taksiarchon and Agiou Ioannou. The latter is in a pine-covered hill with a well-designed area where visitors can relax and enjoy the scenery.
The most important sight of the village is the famous Velentzas Bakery, a traditional stone building of 1897 with exquisite murals of the folk painter Theophilos. In 1910 the famous painter decorated the bakery with nine wonderful wall paintings displaying various heroic figures from history and tradition, perfectly preserved until today.
If you need to get refreshed after the end of your tour, head to the plane forest at the riverbed of Anavros where you can enjoy dining at the taverns on the stream.
Finally, if you love flowers you should know that on May 1st a flower festival is organized called “Anthestiria” where one can admire a wide variety of flowers produced by local flower growers. Lots of people attend this event and many buy flowers in order to decorate their own backyard.
