The planned Macedonian capital behind the famous mosaics
Pella replaced Aigai as the Macedonian capital and developed as a broad, planned city. Its houses and streets reveal urban life behind royal history, while intricate pebble mosaics show hunting, myth and movement with striking economy. The modern museum holds the objects that make the low archaeological remains understandable.
Visit the museum first and allow two to three hours across both areas. Summer shade is scarce and the scale involves more walking than the surviving wall height suggests. Pella and Aigai tell different chapters and deserve separate half-days. If joined in one day, start early, omit unrelated detours and check both sites’ closing times before leaving Thessaloniki.
Good to know
Ancient Macedon, Mosaics, Alexander the Great, Museum, and Extensive site
