At the year of 1923, when Greeks forced to leave from Asia Minor, about 400 families from the village of Katirli of Vithinia, left their beautiful place and found a new place to fit in, as refugees, according to their parish they belonged to.
Parishioners of the Saint Paraskevi church came to Stavros, creating the village “Paralia Stavros” and parishioner of the Saint John church went to Thssaloniki, founding the village “Neo Katirli” at today’s Kalamaria municipality. Some months later refugees from the village of Madytos in Prousa added to the ones in Paralia Stavros and instantly embody to the village.
The refugee families along with the native residents of the villages Stavros and Vrasna composed for some years a united community. The lack of homogeneity and the distance between the three villages led to Vrasna detachment first and Stavros later. At 1931 accomplished the final segregation of the villages. The old village with the native residents named Ano Stavros, while the refugee village retained the name Stavros.
Today Stavros is the main village of the Municipality of Volvi, where the town hall is located. The old refugees village is transformed into a summer resort with modern turist facilities and plentiful natural beauty. The combination of mountain and sea offers the ability guarantees the satisfaction of varies tourist desires.
Stavros’s visitors have the chance to:
- Visit the unique plane forest, the locals call it “Platania”, located right at the end of the sea, in the middle of the village.
- Enjoy a walk on the forest “Macedonian Tempi” and river Rihios.
- Wander at the remains of Rentina’s castle, the famous Artemisio, built on a hill of the Macedonian Tempi to control the famous Via Egnatia, the street who led from Rome to Constantinople.
- Pay respect to the church of Saint Paraskevi and the small church of Saint John, honoring the same holies the refugees did in Katirli.
- Walk on the old harbor and watch the old fishermen and their traditional ships, the so-called “kaikia”.
- Try fishing with the traditional way.
- Taste delicious fresh fishes on fish taverns and the tasteful menus careful chosen by the unnumbered restaurants.
- Choose the form of his accommodation satisfying his own needs.
- Enjoy swimming on the 7klm well organized with umbrellas, deck chairs, baths and changing rooms, crystal clear sea, awarded for many years with the E.U.’s “Blue flags”.
- Be astonished by the panoramic view of the bright green mountains surround the Strymonikos Gulf, just by going on sea bicycle or canoe.
- Use basket, tennis and the indoor gymnasium facilities as well as the recently reformed football arena.
- Watch many shows on the open theater located on the center of the village.
- Go shopping on the local market.