Makrinitsa

Makrinitsa (Greek: Μακρινίτσα), nicknamed "balcony of Mt. Pelion," is a village and a former community in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece.

The name is first attested in the early 13^th century through the Makrinitissa Monastery. "Makrinitissa" itself is a more scholarly form of "Makrinitsa", which must have been the colloquial name even at the time. It is of Slavic origin, originally Mokrinitsa, a diminutive form of Mokrina, "wet place", referring to the water-rich environs of the village. The name was Hellenized with the change of the first vowel to "a" from the Greek word makrys, "long".

It is situated in the northwestern part of the Pelion mountains, 6 km northeast of Volos. One of the most characteristic traditional settlements, full of mansions and houses that look like hanging ornaments on the green mountain side. One of the traditional coffee houses is decorated with a fresco by the famous Greek painter Theofilos. The picturesque cobbled paths of Makrinitsa are scattered with traditional water fountains. Makrinitsa is a popular tourist destination, especially during the winter.

All pictures are © Dr. Günther Eichhorn, unless otherwise noted.