Volos in Magenesia Prefecture

Volos, a city of approximately 80,000 population at the head of the Pagasitic Gulf, and mostly blocked from the Aegean by the Pilio peninsula which curves around the Pagasitic Gulf, Volos is the capital of its eparchy (administrative district, like a county) in the nomos (prefecture) of Thessaly.

The third important port in Greece after Thessaloniki and Piraeus (and ferry port for the Sporades islands), Volos is a big industrial city which exports both regional produce (olives and olive oil, wine, fruit, grains, vegetables, cotton, silk, sugar, soap, and tobacco among them) as well as machinery and metal goods, the latter via ship to the Middle East, and especially to Syria. There are forty-four factories on the outskirts of the city, including tanneries, mills, cigarette factories, refineries and cement works, oil-pressing plants. Volos is also a bishopric.

In ancient times this city was called Iolkos, and was allegedly the place of departure for the mythical Jason and his Argonauts when they set off to capture the Golden Fleece. The site of ancient Iolkos is between the railway and a dry river bed, which may have been the Anauros. Identified in 1956 by the Greek Archaeological Service, it sits on a hill surrounded by a medieval wall. Two Mycenaean palaces were also found there in 1958. The Archaeological Museum is on the southeast end of town. It was founded in 1909,rebuilt after the earthquakes, and reopened in 1961. It houses an exceptional and unique collection of painted grave stelae (upright slabs or pillars with sculptures and inscriptions) from Hellenistic times and also one of the best collections in Europe of Neolithic pottery, figurines and tools from the local sites of Dimini and Sesklo. The site of ancient Dimini (Tues-Sun 8:30am-3pm; 2euros) is west of Volos, and includes two Mycenaean tholos tombs. The Mycenaean palaces mentioned above are next to the site and not open to the public yet. Ancient Sesklo (near the village of Sesklo) is 15km/9.3miles from Volos. Inhabited from around 7000BC to 3000 BC, the acropolis is on a low hill in a valley (open Tues-Sun 8:30-3pm,2 euros).

The Kitsos Makris Folk Art Center is at Afendouli 50 (Mon-Fri 8:30am-2pm, Sat 10-2;free), with paintings by the 'naïve' folk artist from Mytilini/Lesvos island who was called 'Theophilos' (see the Pilio Peninsula for details on the museum of his works in one of the villages there as well as in scattered places over the peninsula). Another free museum is the Giorgio de Chirico Art Centre (Metamorfoseos 3 (Mon-Fri 10am-1pm and 6-9pm;Sat 10am-1pm;Sun 6-9pm). The works of a Volos-born Surrealist artist is featured here on the second floor.

In actual history, Volos' sizeable historic Jewish community was one of the larger ones in northern Greece (others including the communities in Ioannina in Epirus, Larissa in Thessaly, and Halkidha on Evia island). Most of the Jews of Volos survived the Nazis, due to their integration into the local community, and others hid on Mount Pilio or joined the Resistance. There is a memorial in Volos to the 155 who died at the large square Platia Riga Fereou, the sculpted memorial donated to the city by a survivor.

Beginning in 1947, modern Volos suffered a string of earthquakes, climaxing with two very serious ones in 1954 and 1955, which required its rebuilding, done in typical modern Greek concrete style, but n ear the Platia Riga Fereou are some of the more appealing sights in Volos-- the Fishing Harbor, the quayside with its Argonavton, the seaside boulevard where the evening 'volta' (community promenade) is enjoyed. There is a model of the Argo near the Landing Stage, where boats leave for the Sporades.

Volos specializes in fine ouzeria (plural of 'ouzeri', though ouzo is not the only drink offered in them), with big varieties of mezedhes (plural of 'mezes' or appetizer). There are a string of these ouzeria along the waterfront esplanade, Argonavton. For Volos hotels in the area please click.