The Lechovo village is located in the west of Macedonia and belongs to the municipality of Amynteo since 2011. It lyes up in the west makedonien mountains, about 900 meters above sealevel, and has 1115 inhabitants (census 2011). The closest cities are Ptolemaida and Amynteo, which are both located about 25 kilometers away from the village.
Lechovo is known for the “Gigantes” beans and for its stonemasonry work, which is typical for the villages in the region. In the village this traditional type of arcitecture can be found in the Attiki square and
also a lot of the roads were kept in this style. The native cuisine of the village is very versatile and the most famous dish is the incredible delicious “Fasolada” bean soup, which is alongside with “Pita” one of many native recipes here in Lechovo. Furthermore Lechovo offers an amazing nature, which can be explored through the hiking and biking trails built by the “Path of Peace” project in 2018.
The village has a church, a cultural center, a library and a museum in the old Atikki square. Lechovo also has a football field and a gym that can be used for all kind of sportsactivities, including handball and basketball.
Above the village is the chapel of St. Ilias and an open-air stage, where a lot of traditional festivals and special events take place during the summer. There are several restaurants and cafes in Lechovo and the hotel Monopati also has its own restaurant and bar.
The settlement of Lechovo started during the mid 18th century, mainly by christian Albanians. As most of the inhabitants were Hellinised Albanians,
the village was on the Greek side during the Macedonian Struggle between Greece and the Ottomans. Over the years the village provided refuge for soldiers several times. During the Second World War Lechovo was occupied by the Germans, after the battle of Kleisoura in April 1941.
The great resistance in the area led to the Germans plundering and burning down the village as a part of the retaliation policy in July of 1943.
The village is strongly influenced by migration, which can be seen in the language. The For example in 1990 a lot of people over 60 have spoken
Aromanien and people over thirty have spoken Arvanitika, which is an albanien language variety, along with greek. Over the years there has been a language shift towards greek. Also a lot of the current residents have worked in Germany for a long time, which is why many people speak German very well. Since many people here know what it is like to be in a place where you do not know the language and culture, there is great hospitality in Lechovo!
Map of Lechovo
This map of Lechovo shows the highlights of the village. Different colours correspondent with various aspects of the village. Orange are the cultural sight, black marks the monuments, blue are the churches and gastronomical spots are purple of colour. By zooming in and clocking on the marked places more information can be found, along with a picture. Therefore, making it easy to find out more about the village.
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Routes
There are five different routes you can walk or bike to explore the past of peace. Bicycle Route: Panorama (73 km) The Lake (11.6 km) The Forest (10.5 km) The Black Stone (5.7 km) The View (10 km) To find the detailed routes and maps visit the Paths of Peace website: Paths of Peace
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‘Kiriaki sto Chorio Xana’ (Sunday in the village again)
Sunday in the village again (Greek: Κυριακη στο Χωροι ξανα) is a Greek television program broadcasted on Sunday. Every Sunday the viewers get introduced to a village somewhere in Greece. Focus points of the show is the daily life and culture of the village. In the beginning of July the crew of the show was…
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Good bye to our volunteers