As
with many of the greek cities there are various myths about the
origin of the name Veria (mainly because our ancient Greeks did
not like gap in their history.  The
most popular mythological explanation is the one suggesting that
the name comes from that of the nymph Veroi, the daughter of Ocean
and Thetis, who after being born in the sea kingdom of her parents
started wandering around and was so enchanted from our region
that chose it as her abode and gave it her name.
Geographical
location: With a population of approximately 50,000 and with
a vivid activity in many fields, Veria is one of the most important
towns of Central Macedonia. Built on the eastern slopes of mount
Vermio, at an altitude of 50 m, it is located 72 km west of Thessaloniki.
From here it is very easy to visit the marvelous royal tombs of
Vergina, where Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, is
buried or the Macedonian tombs of Lefkadia and the school where
Aristoteles taught. Also within easy reach of the town are the
ski resorts of Seli and Tria-Pente Pigadia.
 Economy:
The economy of Veria is mainly based on agriculture and trading.
The fertile grounds of the region produce a variety of fruits
and vegetables which are exported all around the world. Veria
is also a very active export center, the main exported goods being
fresh and preserved agricultural products, threads and cotton.
Many of the goods exported through Veria come from other regions
of Greece.
History:
The traces of Veria are lost deep in time. The exact date
of its founding is not yet known but American archaelogists have
excavated the earliest European farming settlement, dating to
the 6th or 7th millenium B.C., just a few kilometres outside the
town; therefore making it safe to assume that it could in fact
be one of the oldest towns on Earth! The oldest verified reference
to Veria is the first book of Thucydides' History where it is
mentioned that the Atheneans, while on an expedition against Halkidiki,
tried to conquer the town (without success). Throughout the 2,500
years of its history it has been one of the main commercial, cultural
and administrative centres of Macedonia.
Churches:
There are 48 Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches in Veria, 40
of them with extensive frescoes. Some of the churches date back
to the 11th century, making Veria an important centre of Byzantine
ecclesiastic architecture.
Traditional
architecture: Apart from the wonderful churches one can also
look forward to seeing examples of traditional Greek architecture.
Since the modern town of Veria evolved over and around the centre
of the old town, many parts of the old town have been destroyed.
The ones that survived almost intact until today are the Jewish
quarters, the Kyriotissa area and the residences of Kontogeorgaki
st. All these are protected under law and every effort is being
made for them to be restored and put into active use.The restoration
and restructuring of the historic centre of Veria is one of the
main concerns of the Municipality of Veria.
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