Two kilometres from here, one of the first schools in history.
Just a few minutes’ drive from Driades Hotel, at the site of “Isvoria” next to the Kefalari spring, lies one of the most important archaeological sites in the area: Aristotle’s School, in ancient Mieza. Its proximity to the hotel makes it easy to visit even for a couple of hours, between other plans for the day.
It was here, around 343 BC, that Philip II invited Aristotle to take charge of the education of his thirteen-year-old son, Alexander — together with other young nobles of the Macedonian court. The natural setting of rocks, caves and spring is considered one of the first open-air “schools” in history, where philosophy, rhetoric and political thought were taught.
In the same area, a few kilometres further on, are the Macedonian Tombs of Lefkadia and the ancient theatre of Mieza — you can easily combine them in a short historical route, starting and ending at the hotel.
What visitors see today is the Nymphaeum of Mieza, a sanctuary dedicated to the Nymphs: a long stoa carved in front of a natural rock face, with caves and running water from the Kefalari spring. The sockets for the columns in the rock and parts of the architectural layout survive, while the shady, leafy setting makes it clear why exactly this spot was chosen for teaching.
The visit is short — 30 to 45 minutes are enough for the site — but it is worth combining with the other monuments of ancient Mieza. The walk along the landscaped paths is easy, with wooden bridges and shade from the trees, and is ideal for a morning or a cool afternoon. Given how close it is to the hotel, many of our guests even go on foot or by bicycle.
The natural continuation of the visit is Lefkadia, a few kilometres away, home to the most important group of Macedonian tombs in Greece. The Tomb of the Judgement stands out for its two-storey marble façade — the largest surviving on any Macedonian tomb — while the Tomb of the Palmettes and the Tomb of Lyson and Kallikles preserve impressive painted decoration. Together with the School and the ancient theatre, they make up a route through ancient Mieza that is easily completed in half a day, without really straying far from the hotel.
Here Aristotle taught the man who changed the world.
