The beaches and the taverns are great, but at some point, you might want to take a break from the sun and enjoy a stroll in the historic village of Zagora.

The name “Zagora” has Slavic roots and means “the place behind the mountain” – similar to “Zagorochoria” in Epirus. Up until the 19th century, all the villages of Eastern Pelion were known as “Zagora’s villages”, which reflects the village’s importance.

Zagora has always been a major economic center. Its prosperity came from silk cultivation, textile production, and shipping, activities that left their mark on the village’s architecture and traditions.

At the same time, Zagora played a key role in the cultural life of Magnesia. It became a center of education and spiritual development, especially after the foundation of the first school, which later became known as the “Hellenic Museum”. Important figures like Rigas Ferraios and many intellectuals of the 18th and 19th centuries studied there.

Today, the building houses a museum and exhibition space. Another cultural gem is the Zagora Municipal Library, established in 1762. It holds a vast collection of writings by Rigas Ferraios, rare theological and historical manuscripts, and texts that reveal much about Greek history during Ottoman rule.

Zagora is also the birthplace of Giannis Kordatos (1891–1961), a renowned Marxist sociologist and historian. His bust stands in the central square of Saint George.