'P6020152' - Attribution: Apart from the endless summer vacation and some winter trip possibilities, Halkidiki's rich history and folklore tradition can satisfy the spiritual interests of its visitors.
Petralona's Cave and its Anthropological Museum at Thermaikos gulf became famous for its abundance of prehistoric findings of great palaiontological importance, and in Nea Moudania, Museum of Traditional Boats and Tools as well as Bithynia's Folklore Museum display remarkable exhibits of very specific interest.Folklore Museums all over Halkidiki in general, exhibit typical objects of the area's special tradition and every day life. Folklore Museum of Afytos, Mouseum of Folklore and History of Parthenonas in Sithonia, Ierissos Folklore Museum known primarily for the traditional and impressive architecture of its building are some of the most important ones. The History and Archeology Museum of Arnea, in the central mountain region of Halkidiki, with its permanent exhibition of the renowned local woven textile, as well as the Folklore Museums in Polygyros and Petrokerasa contribute to this big sample of tradition.
To those with archeological interests, the archeological site of Kallithea, ancient Skioni and ancient Mendi in Cassandra, the renovated archeological place of Olynthos with its museum in Toroneos, some fort remains of Toroni in Sithonia at Vigla and Lykithos, are to be suggested. Nevertheless, the most important archeological sights of the county are ancient Stageira, Aristoteles home town, Liotopi peninsula at the east coast and the Archeological Museum of Polygyros, which exhibits findings from all over Halkidiki covering a wide period of time, from Bronze until Roman Age.
When it comes to Greek-orthodox religion, Mount Athos has left its significant fingerprint, as it was not always so isolated, not only at the local people's strength of faith, but also at the field of religious art, making Halkidiki the most important region among Greece, which is more obvious at the huge number of byzantine monasteries and churches with their impressive icons and wall-paintings. Agios Arsenios monastery between Vatopedi and Metamorphosi village at Toroneos gulf, Evaggelismos tis Theotokou Monastery, which is the biggest and most impressive building-wise in Greece, deserve to be visited by anyone religious or just faithful and the abundance of important temples at the creek of Siggitikos gulf suggest that the area has been for a long time now a religious center. Finally, the Christian Museum of Ouranoupoli is an interesting sight not only for orthodox followers but also for religious art fans.