Pella (Greece) Voyage Tips and guide

Pella (Greek: Πέλλα) is a municipality in Central Macedonia, Greece, about 40 km west of Thessaloniki. The capital and population center of the municipality is Giannitsa, but most visitors go to Pella village, which was built on top of Ancient Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great and capital of the Macedonian kingdom. Today there is an archaeological site with a museum.

Ancient Pella was a strategic port, connected to the Thermaic Gulf by a navigable inlet, which have since silted up. At the beginning of the 4th century BC, Archelaus I developed it into the capital of Macedon, supplanting Aigai, which remained the burial place for the kings and the royal family.

Pella was the birthplace of Philip II in 382 BC, and of Alexander the Great, his son, in 356 BC. Through their influence, Pella became the largest and richest city in Macedonia. It flourished until 168 BC, when the city was sacked by the Romans. It entered a long period of decline, hastened by an earthquake around 90 BC, as its importance was eclipsed by nearby Thessaloniki. The city was abandoned by the 4th century AD.

The first excavation was begun in 1914–15. The modern systematic exploration of the site began in 1953 and work has continued since then, uncovering significant parts of the extensive city.

The pebble-mosaic floors of Pella's rich houses are of particular note: some reproduce Greek paintings; one shows a lion-griffin attacking a stag, another depicts Dionysus riding a leopard.

KTEL Macedonia runs a bus from Thessaloniki to Giannitsa. A two way ticket is about €10 and the trip takes about 1 hour. There's a bus about every hour. Check the schedule. Ask the bus driver to drop you off at an 40.7490822.528511 impromptu bus stop next to the main road, 10 minutes on foot from the archaeological site.

On the way back you might be able to catch the bus directly to Thessaloniki at the same stop or you might need to take a local bus to 40.78344822.4112622 Giannitsa in which case you need to go to a 40.7618922.524023 Pella bus stop. Ask the people working at the Museum for further assistance, including local bus schedules, stops and where to buy the ticket.

Take Greek National Road 2 (EO2). The sights are a few kilometers from the Pella exit.

40°45′15″N 22°31′8″E

Map of Pella (Greece)

Pella village is a small village where everything is within walking distance, although not flat.

• 40.7541422.51891 Archaeological Site of Pella (just before reaching the village from the national road). 08:00 - 17:00. Designed on a grid plan, it consists of parallel streets which intersect at right angles and form a grid of eight rows of rectangular blocks. While there are no tall building-like structures to see other than a few columns, a large swath of the city has been unearthed, exposing the foundations (and floor-tile artwork) of entire city blocks. Allow about 30-45 minutes to see the highlights south of the Agora, 60-90 minutes to explore the whole site. €10.  (updated Dec 2025)
  • 40.7544422.518932 House of "Dionysos". One of the richest residences of the city. The mosaics found here are on display in the Arcaeological Museum.  (updated Dec 2025)
  • 40.7545722.517743 House of "Helen". One of the richest residences of the city. The mosaics have been left in situ.  (updated Dec 2025)
  • 40.7522122.518034 Potter's Quarter. Pottery workshops with kilns and vats.  (updated Dec 2025)
  • 40.7560822.519075 Agora. This huge square covered 7 hectares or 10 city blocks the centre of the city, built in the last quarter of the 4th century BC. The agora was surrounded by the shaded colonnades of stoas, and streets of enclosed houses with frescoed walls round inner courtyards.  (updated Dec 2025)

• 40.76222.51926 Archaeological Museum of Pella (Ancient Pella Museum) (western end of the village), ☏ +30 23820 31160, [email protected]. Summer 08:00-17:00, winter 08:30-15:30 closed Tuesdays. Exhibits focus on the daily life of Pella's residents, with detailed floor mosaics and other artefacts recovered from the archaeological site. Allow about 60 minutes to see the permanent exhibitions. 10€.  (updated Dec 2025)
• Palace of Pella. Opening in 2026. The seat of the royal power of Macedon, built on a 70 m hill north of the city. (updated Dec 2025)

There are a few restaurants in the center.

There are no professional lodging options in Pella village, given its size. But there are usually a couple of Airbnb rooms available at not very cheap nightly rates.

Most people visiting stay in either Thessaloniki or Giannitsa.

• Vergina - Burial site of the kings of Macedon
• Thessaloniki - The second largest city in Greece.
• Follow Alexander on a romp all the way to the Punjab