STONE BRIDGE
For centuries, it was used as a key passage, as it connected the Citadel of Servia with the Lower City. It crosses the stream of Saint George Kremastos and it is characterized as a single-arch bridge.
The daily use of the bridge stopped in 1970, and today, in excellent condition, it is a point of historical memory.
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Although the cold was sharp, all the youths of Servia were dressed, as every year on the eve of Easter, in their traditional costumes and their partisan costumes, having set up a great feast under the eyes of the Ottomans, who were watching the celebration. They were celebrating the "Logatsaria", a tradition that was based in antiquity as "Winter Dionysia", continued during the Roman period as "Saturnalia", and lasted until these days having taken on a patriotic tone, as it was not at all easy for the Ottomans to tolerate a celebration during which the young people were praising in front of their eyes the guerrilla units that were active in the area, by wearing their uniforms.
On that day, the young people were marching down from the Christian quarter to Servia main square, where the maypole had already been set up. An aged man stopped one of the youths and pointed to the southern exit of the town where the one-arched stone bridge still stands today, under which the St. George stream passes. After letting out a sigh, he whispered to the young man, "I wish I could see Greeks in the "Bouboulia" and then I could die. The young man nodded his head, as if to urge him to be patient to see his wish granted, and then resumed his dance.
The bouboulia was a tree which, according to the legend, was located a few meters away from the stone bridge of Servia, on the road that prior to the Ottoman occupation connected the inhabitants living inside the castle of Servia with the valley, and from there with the rest of Macedonia. Since the 6th century AD, the need to connect the castle with the rest of the town had prompted the inhabitants to build a bridge, but it was unstable and very often, when the stream of Agios Georgios swelled, it was destroyed. Until a new one was built during the post-Byzantine period, made of stone and with great craftsmanship, in order to withstand both the people and their animals with loads as they climbed from the Christian quarter to the Byzantine hill. Besides, the Ottomans needed it, as they had set up a garrison inside the castle, which they maintained until about 1850. That is why the elderly resident of Servia wanted to see Greeks at that point, because their presence would automatically mark the throwing off of the Ottoman yoke.
Many years later, the desired freedom had been gained. The castle was deserted, but the stone bridge remained in place to protect the passerby from the waters of the torrent, which, however, had lost its force. The young people of Servia continued to visit it, and it was a spot that for decades was used as a meeting place and a place for socializing. The stone bridge of Servia remained as such until 1970, when an improved asphalt road was built leading more easily to the castle.
In 2016, with the work carried out and the relevant project study, its structural adequacy was restored and maintained, and cleaning and sanitation work was carried out in the surrounding area of the bridge.
HALIACMON RIVER
It is the longest river in Greece, gathering the water of the mountains of Western and Central Macedonia, and giving life to a large part of the country before flowing into the Gulf of Thermaikos.
- The Castle
- The Town
- The River
Folklore Museum
Housed in the home of Dr. Aristidis Christakis, the purpose of the museum is the preservation and dissemination of the historical heritage and tradition of the region.
Servia
The name “Servia” derives from the Latin verb "servo" meaning "to watch, observe", reflecting the city's position as an impregnable fortress in earlier times.
Haliacmon River
It is the longest river in Greece, gathering the water of the mountains of Western and Central Macedonia, and giving life to a large part of the country before flowing into the Gulf of Thermaikos.
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