Discover Kaloneri: Mount Askio, culture and motocross

Mount Askio, historic churches, an annual series of events and a motocross track give Kaloneri several distinct travel highlights. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kaloneri, you can first consider whether your trip is more about the area’s mountain setting, its culture or a sporting activity. The village’s history and the information about its places of worship offer different perspectives, from the church in Kaloneri to the monastery in Mikrokastro.

Kaloneri at Mount Askio

Kaloneri is one of six villages on the western, southern and eastern foothills of Mount Askio, also known as Siniatsiko. The mountain’s highest peak reaches 2,111 m. These two details refer to different things: Kaloneri is among the foothill villages, while 2,111 m is the height of the highest peak. When choosing a destination, this distinction helps you understand the mountain as a geographical setting, rather than attributing the peak’s elevation to the village. Mount Askio and Siniatsiko are two names for the same mountain; you may come across either name when finding your way around the region.

Churches and village history

Agia Paraskevi is Kaloneri’s oldest Christian church and dates from the Ottoman period. Its history is therefore tied to a specific building and a clearly defined historical era. Another point of reference is the old Agia Kyriaki church: it is a few metres behind and east of the new church, and about 1.5 km east of Kaloneri. The two distances have different reference points: a few metres describes its position relative to the new church, while about 1.5 km describes its location relative to the village. This makes it easy to distinguish the relative positions of the two churches from the old church’s location in relation to Kaloneri.

The Agia Kyriaki series in July

The Vrongista Cultural Association in Kaloneri holds a two-week series of events every July in honour of Agia Kyriaki. This calendar-based event is distinct from the historic churches and the setting at Mount Askio: the programme takes place in July, whereas the other village attractions mentioned are not tied to a particular week of events. When planning your travel dates, you can therefore weigh a time-specific occasion against cultural and landscape features that are there year-round.

Motocross and regional culture

Kaloneri also has a motocross track aimed at adventure seekers. It offers a distinct activity alongside the village’s culture and mountain setting, and appeals to travellers interested in motorsport. If this is a key factor in choosing the village, check in advance whether the track will be accessible during your stay.

Further afield in the region is the Monastery of Panagia in Mikrokastro, the largest monastery in Voio. It broadens the cultural picture to include an explicitly regional perspective: Agia Paraskevi is Kaloneri’s oldest Christian church, while the monastery is in Mikrokastro. This gives you a clear distinction to bear in mind when planning between local history and regional cultural interests.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ptolemaida, Servia, Koila, Kozani, Emporio, Aiani, Komnina, Siátista.

For the main travel overview: Kozani.