Lagkadas
Lagkadas (Langadas) è la cittadina che dà il nome all'omonimo comune della Macedonia centrale, adagiata nella pianura a nord-est d...
Aktualisiert am 17 Juli 2026
Die Geschichte
Die Geschichte von Lagkadas
A small town in the plain between two lakes
Lagkadas sits in a fertile plain of central Macedonia, about twenty kilometres northeast of Thessaloniki, in a position that has long made it a crossing point between the Aegean coast and the inland routes toward Thrace. The municipal territory stretches as far as the two large lake basins of Koroneia and Volvi, which shape its landscape and climate. The town itself has a simple layout, with the market, churches and houses lining orderly streets, typical of the Macedonian farming centres that grew through the twentieth century. It is not a destination of great monumental appeal, but this very simplicity, combined with the closeness of the lakes and the thermal springs, makes it an interesting base for anyone wanting to discover a less touristy central Macedonia, made of countryside, water and living traditions.
The thermal baths of Lagkadas (Loutra Lagkada)
Just outside the town centre lie the thermal springs known as Loutra Lagkada, among the oldest and best known in the region. The hot, mineral-rich waters flow naturally from the ground and have been used for generations for curative baths linked to wellbeing and the treatment of muscular and joint ailments. The Lagkadas baths belong to a thermal tradition widespread across central Macedonia, where hot springs were already known in ancient and Byzantine times as places of healing and rest along the travel routes. Today the site keeps a simple, genuine character, frequented mostly by local visitors and families from the region rather than by international tourism, which preserves its authentic feel and its role as a quiet place tied to water and land.
The Anastenaria: the fire-walking dance
The event that makes Lagkadas known well beyond the borders of central Macedonia is the Anastenaria rite, celebrated every year on 21 May for the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen. At the heart of the ceremony is the pirovasia, the fire-walking dance: the participants, called anastenarides, walk and dance barefoot over a bed of glowing embers, in a trance-like state accompanied by the relentless rhythm of the Macedonian lyra and the drum (daouli). The rite, preceded by days of preparation, processions with the sacred icons and music, blends Christian elements with older practices, and is today recognised as intangible cultural heritage. Witnessing the Anastenaria means coming into contact with one of the most intense and striking religious and folk expressions of all mainland Greece.
Tradition, Thracian refugees and cultural identity
The roots of the Anastenaria lie in the history of the refugees who arrived from Eastern Thrace (today part of Turkish and Bulgarian territory) after the population exchange of the 1920s, concluded following the Treaty of Lausanne. Along with their language, songs and customs, these refugees also brought the fire-walking rite, rooting it in the new villages of central Macedonia, including the Lagkadas area. The practice, handed down from generation to generation within specific families who guard the tradition, has become over time a symbol of continuity and memory for a community that had to rebuild its identity elsewhere. Today the Anastenaria are not just a folk event but a living account of the forced migrations that marked twentieth-century Greek and Balkan history, carefully preserved by the people of the area.
Farming, livestock and local life
Beyond the rite and the thermal baths, Lagkadas remains first and foremost a farming territory. The surrounding plain, irrigated and fertile, is planted with cereals, fodder and vegetables, while cattle and sheep farming has always been one of the area's main economic activities, favoured by the pastures around Lakes Koroneia and Volvi. The town's weekly market is still today a central moment of local life, a meeting point between producers and residents of the nearby villages. This rural vocation, little touched by mass tourism, lets visitors observe up close the authentic rhythms of the Macedonian countryside: farmsteads, tractors in the fields, small dairies and shops selling local produce that tell of an economy tied to the land rather than to tourist display.
How to experience Lagkadas and its surroundings
Lagkadas lends itself to being visited as a stop on a wider itinerary through central Macedonia, perhaps as a day trip from Thessaloniki, barely twenty kilometres away and easily reached by car or local transport links. From here it is possible to head toward the shores of Lakes Koroneia and Volvi, wetlands important for biodiversity and birdlife, ideal for a nature walk or birdwatching. Those planning their trip close to 21 May can witness the Anastenaria rite, an experience to approach with respect, finding out beforehand about timing and how to take part as a spectator. The Loutra Lagkada thermal baths, meanwhile, offer a regenerating pause, while a stroll through the town centre lets visitors breathe the authentic atmosphere of an inland, agricultural and little-touristed Greece, just a short distance from the large urban centre of Thessaloniki.
Experiences not to miss
- A regenerating soak at the Loutra Lagkada thermal springs
- Witnessing the Anastenaria rite and the fire-walking dance on 21 May
- A nature excursion to Lakes Koroneia and Volvi
- Browsing the town's weekly market for local farm produce
- A day trip to nearby Thessaloniki
Sehenswert
Sehenswertes in Lagkadas
Pfade · Trovido Route
