Agios Nikolaos (, meaning

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

) is a village located 110 kilometers south-east of

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

on the

Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; , alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos reg ...

peninsula in

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Geography

The village Agios Nikolaos itself is 2 km inland from the

Singitic Gulf The Singitic Gulf (), also known as the Mount Athos Gulf or the Holy Mountain Gulf () is a gulf of the Thracian Sea, part of the northern Aegean Sea, in Chalkidiki, Greece. It is bounded by Sithonia in the west, and Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ...

. However, its territory is quite extensive. To the north-east it borders the village of

Pyrgadikia Pyrgadikia () is a Greek village in the Chalkidiki peninsula. It is located in the south-eastern part of Chalkidiki (approximately 110 km south-east of Thessaloniki), built on the coast of Siggitikos Bay (part of the Aegean Sea). It is part of ...

at Salonikiou Beach (8 km from Agios Nikolaos). To the north it borders the village of Metangitsi. In the west and south-west it is neighboring the village of

Nikiti Nikiti () is a village located 100 kilometers south-east of Thessaloniki on the Chalkidiki peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. It is the seat of both the municipal unit and municipality of Sithonia. The town has a preserved old part of town. The newer ...

(9 km from Agios Nikolaos). To the south it borders the village of

Sarti Sarti can be referring to the following items: Surname The Italian language surname Sarti is derived from the occupation of tailor. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolfo Sarti (1928–1992), Italian Christian Democrat politician * A ...

at Armenistis Beach (28 km from Agios Nikolaos).

Landscapes

Agios Nikolaos' landscapes show a substantial variability. In the

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

s east and south-east of the village

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

predominates with

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

trees as the main cultivated plant. Toward the south, rises the

Itamos Itamos () is a former municipality in the Karditsa regional unit, Thessaly, Greece, named after the ancient city of "Itamos". Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Karditsa Karditsa ( ) is a city in western Thes ...

mountain range of

Sithonia Sithonia (), also known as Longos, is a peninsula and part of the larger peninsula of Chalkidiki in Greece. The Kassandra, Chalkidiki, Kassandra Peninsula lies to the west of Sithonia and the Mount Athos peninsula to the east. Sithonia is also the ...

and is completely covered with pine forest. Towards its northeastern extension ( Salonikiou Beach) significant parts of the village territory are covered with forests. In all parts of the village territory plains or smooth hill segments are devoted to agriculture. On the beaches there are

hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...

and

pensions A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a "defined benefit plan", wher ...

as well as individual homes that have been built since the 1980s. The highest point within Agios Nikolaos territory is mount Karvounas (height approx. 550 m) in the south-west ( Vourvourvou).

Settlements

A couple of coastal settlements belong to Agios Nikolaos, these are: *

Vourvourou Vourvourou () is a village near Agios Nikolaos, in the Chalkidiki peninsula of northern Greece. It is best known as a holiday destination. History In the 10th century, the area was known as the "land of the ''Vourvourioi''", and was granted ...

– located 10 km south-east. Vourvourou is a village near Agios Nikolaos, in the Chalkidiki peninsula of northern Greece. It is best known as a holiday destination. Close to Vourvourou are the beaches of Karidi and Fteroti. Diasporos island is very close to Vourvourou. * Salonikiou Beach – located 8 km north-east. Salonikiou is the area around the beach of Salonikiou on the northeast coast of Sithonia, between Ormos Panagias and Pyrgadikia. The closest village is Metangitsi (4 km inland). Most of the buildings in the region are private villas but there are some studios and apartments to rent. The beach is more than 1 km long. * Ormos Panagias – located 4 km east/south-east, serves as the village port. Ormos Panagias is an important port for

Halkidiki Chalkidiki (; , alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos regio ...

. Considered as being a part of Agios Nikolaos, the port of Ormos Panagias is located just a few kilometres to the south. The amount of accommodation and restaurants that have been built around this harbour has made it grow into somewhat of a village on its own, built around an existing old church. Even though it is not officially recognized as a village, Ormos Panagias is considered a Halkidiki resort in its own right that attracts many people. Tourist boat tours of

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

and it's monasteries leave from this port.

Population

The community of Agios Nikolaos, which includes the settlements of Agios Nikolaos, Vourvourou, Salonikiou Beach, and Ormos Panagias, has 1,965 residents (2021 census). Almost all inhabitants are

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

. After the rise of tourism, some non-Greeks have settled permanently in Agios Nikolaos, for example,

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

, and

Austrians Austrians (, ) are the citizens and Nationality, nationals of Austria. The English term ''Austrians'' was applied to the population of Archduchy of Austria, Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. Subsequently, during the 19th century, ...

. During the summer holiday period, the population may rise to 10,000.

Economy

Traditionally, inhabitants of Agios Nikolaos had two economic mainstays: agriculture and fishery. Agriculture was mostly devoted to olive trees (and olive oil production), wheat, and winery. Fishery was limited to the waters of the Singitic Gulf. Since the 1980s,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

replaced

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish far ...

and

as economic mainstay. Inhabitants have built own hotels, homes, and pensions or sold-off their agricultural land for real estate purposes. Concomitantly, living standards have risen significantly.

History

Tower ruins Agios Nikolaos Chalkidiki 001

The

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

city of Singos, which gave its name to the

, was located within Agios Nikolaos' territory and dates back to 454 BCE. It was probably near the

bay on Livari peninsula, where an ancient wall of large stones is still visible (Mega Teichos). Individual reports even mention remains of an ancient

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

at the very same location. No

excavation Excavation may refer to: * Archaeological excavation * Excavation (medicine) * ''Excavation'' (The Haxan Cloak album), 2013 * ''Excavation'' (Ben Monder album), 2000 * ''Excavation'' (novel), a 2000 novel by James Rollins * '' Excavation: A Mem ...

was performed to confirm position and location of ancient Singos and significant remains of buildings are not evident. The village's history dates back to the 14th century when inhabitants moved inland from the sea because of repeated attacks by

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

. A likely position of a previous settlement can be found 2 km away on the coast at Pyrgos Beach, where remains of a

watchtower A watchtower or guardtower (also spelt watch tower, guard tower) is a type of military/paramilitary or policiary tower used for guarding an area. Sometimes fortified, and armed with heavy weaponry, especially historically, the structures are ...

presumably of

Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the F ...

origin can be found. Agios Nikolaos fell under Ottoman Turkish rule from the 15th century until liberation in the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...

of 1912. The town suffered further in the 1940s during

World War Two World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisi ...

and fighting in the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...

. After the 1950s, peaceful times returned and the Agios Nikolaos area saw a tourism boom from the 1980s onwards which increased prosperity in the region. Many villagers built summer homes in the coastal areas of Ormos Panagias and

Infrastructure

Public facilities

Agios Nikolaos has following public facilities: * police station * health center (equal to a very small hospital) * pharmacies * post office * ATM * radio station * volunteer firefighters station Agios Nikolaos does not have a bank. The nearest bank is located in Nikiti (9 km away).

Transportation

Agios Nikolaos lies adjacent to the road leading from

(

west ring) and from

(semicircular road around Singitikos bay leading east). All roads are covered with

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...

. There is no link to a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

. (

has no railroad at all). Ormos Panagias serves as

of Agios Nikolaos. Daily cruises to

' west coast take off from that port. It serves also as home port of the village's

boats. Air traffic is managed by the

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

. Bus traffic is the mainstay of public transport in Agios Nikolaos, as in

as a whole. Daily connections to

Polygyros Polygyros (Greek languages, Greek: Πολύγυρος) is a town and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Central Macedonia, Central Macedonia, Greece. It is the capital of Chalkidiki. Geography Polygyros town (pop. 7,779 at ...

, and

Nea Moudania Nea Moudania (, ''Néa Moudaniá''; often referred to as Moudania (Μουδανιά, ''Moudaniá''), the name of the municipal unit to which the town belongs, is the seat of the municipality of Nea Propontida, Chalkidiki, Greece. The town is 60&n ...

exist. In the summer, at least 3 buses a day do provide transportation, whereas in the winter bus frequency is lower.

Architecture

Agios Nikolaos is primarily a

traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

ly built village with characteristic

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Macedonia * Mac ...

architecture. However, a lot of traditional homes and houses have been replaced with modern ones. This is partially due to a higher

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outsid ...

as well as to stricter building standard because of

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

concerns.

Sightseeing

Pirgos Beach Agios Nikolaos Chalkidiki 001

Ancient remains in the area are not noteworthy. However, one may want to take a look at: *

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

watch tower A watchtower or guardtower (also spelt watch tower, guard tower) is a type of military/paramilitary or policiary tower used for guarding an area. Sometimes fortified, and armed with heavy weaponry, especially historically, the structures are b ...

at Pyrgos Beach (only ruins visible) *Ancient Mega Teichos at

(Livari) *The village of Agios Nikolaos has traditional architecture *The central square (πλατεία) of Agios Nikolaos is surrounded by restaurants and cafes and is especially busy on summer nights. Agios Nikolaos is full of noteworthy

beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

, as there are: * Salonikiou Beach * Pyrgos Beach * Livrochio Beach * Latoura Beach * Lagonisi Beach * Livari Beach * Vourvourou Beach * Karidi Beach * Zografou Beach * Galana Nera, a beach located between Diaporos and Agios Isidoros. Beside the beaches, the bay of Vourvourou has approx. 9 islands giving it a lagoon appearance. *

Diaporos Island Diaporos Island () is an island of about one and a half square miles in the Singitic Gulf, Chalkidiki, northern Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan pen ...

, largest island, partially inhabited * Agios Isidoros, the most eastern island All islands and islands' beaches can only be reached by boat.

References

{{Sithonia div Populated places in Chalkidiki Sithonia