Every spring, the Greek region of Imathia turns into a spectacular quilt of hot pink and vivid green due to the blossoms of its famed peach trees that line the entire plain, located in central Macedonia.
Everyone on Earth has seen the splendor of the flowering cherry trees of Japan, which give such delicate beauty to the landscape every spring there.
But the huge carpets of pink blossoms from peach orchards, which transform the Imathia region of Greece into a pink wonderland, are equally as stunning and are among the world’s best-kept secrets.
The sight, seen especially well from the foothills of Mount Vermio, equals or surpasses any other springtime floral display anywhere in the world.
“What we see before us each March is an endless pink carpet of flowering peach trees,’’ said Zisis Patsikas, president of the Veria Tourism Club, speaking with AMNA.
Photography competition held every year for the peach blossoms in Imathia
Every year, more than three hundred individuals from around Greece, including both amateur and professional photographers, participate in the competition.
Imathia promotes tourism surrounding peach blossoms
Inspired by Japan’s way of promoting tourism featuring its emblematic famous cherry blossoms, Imathia residents have begun to promote the annual blooming of their treasured peach trees.
The region is already known as a popular winter destination, as it is home to two of Greece’s best ski resorts, Seli and 3-5 Pigadia.
The region also holds a yearly 17-kilometer ”Bicycle Ride Through the Flowering Peach Trees,” which offers participants an opportunity to discover and admire the spectacular display in an entirely new way.
While these activities have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, many residents look to future peach blossom events with optimism.
The peach flowers are in bloom for approximately fifteen days in northern Greece, and the beautiful event occurs between late February and mid-March.
Imathia’s peaches are well known all across Europe. They are one of Greece’s most successful export products, and thousands of people work in that agricultural sector in the region.