Pella

Pella became the Macedonian capital around 400 BC, when the court moved down from Aigai to the plain, and here Philip II ruled and Alexander was born in 356 BC. The city was laid out on a grid with wide streets, a vast agora and mansions whose floors carry the finest pebble mosaics ever found: made from natural river stones set on edge, with lead strips outlining the figures, they show a lion hunt, a stag hunt signed by the artist Gnosis, Dionysos riding a panther and the abduction of Helen. Some remain in situ under shelters at the site, while others are displayed in the museum opened in 2009, which also holds the palace finds, the sanctuary material and a reconstructed house interior. The palace itself sits on the low hill above, partly excavated.

What you actually see

• The pebble mosaics - lion hunt, stag hunt and Dionysos floors, some in situ.
• The house plans - large peristyle mansions on the excavated grid.
• The museum - mosaics, sculpture, and finds from the palace and sanctuaries.
• The palace hill - the foundations of the royal complex above the city.

When to go

Spring and autumn; the plain is very hot in July and August and the site has little shade, though the museum is air-conditioned. Mornings suit the mosaics best.

Honest expectations

Much of the city remains unexcavated and what is visible is foundations plus mosaics under cover. Site and museum are a short walk apart and both need time. Public transport works but is slow; a car is easier.

Nearby

Vergina and the royal tombs lie south; Thessaloniki is forty minutes east.