Wine & Wildlife Adventure

Time Schedule

8:30am Start of our Wine and Tasting Odyssey !

10:30am After a 2h drive through the plains of Macedonia we arrive at Alpha Estate in Amynteon. We will have a guided tour of the winery and explore the cellars where the estate's treasures are kept behind bars ! We will learn about the history of the local varieties grown here and the vinification methods used by the estates oenologist. At the end of the tour in the spacious area overlooking the lakes, we will taste the estate’s elegant wines.

12:30pm A scenic uphill drive brings us to the picturesque village of Nymfeo (1,350m). We’ll leave the car at the village entrance and stroll along cobblestone streets, admiring elegant 19th-century mansions built by the area’s wealthy merchants, showcasing remarkable local architecture. At the edge of the village, a paved path leads to the Arcturos Bear Conservation Area. After a pleasant 20-minute walk, we reach the information kiosk and meet the dedicated bear keepers. The shelter is open to visitors from spring to late autumn, only when the bears are awake. Here, you'll have the rare opportunity to observe rescued bears that, due to various issues, cannot return to the wild.

3:30pm Our final stop will be at a local taverna where we will have a Greek late lunch accompanied by the famous wines of the area.

7:00pm We’ll wrap up our adventure as we head back to Thessaloniki.

*all hours are approximate and itineraries are subject to change due to weather conditions or other predicaments

Winery tour & tasting

ALPHA Estate is located at the northwest part of Greece, the Amyndeon, Florina region. Alpha Estate was founded in 1997 by the experienced viticulturist Makis Mavridis and chemist-oenologist Angelos Iatridis, who, after years of experience in various locations of Greece, chose the Amyndeon region to create their own wine.

Professional know-how, experience and the team’s effort, throughout all stages of production and promotion, are necessary conditions for the desirable result of producing wines sealed under the Alpha Estate label.

Enjoy a guided tour of the winery where the vinification methods will be explained and a walk through the magnificent cellars that keep the treasures of the estate. Our tour will conclude with a special tasting in a breathtaking area overlooking the lakes where we will taste a sample of the estate’s wines.

Aerial view of Alpha Estate winery and the surrounding vineyards

Nimfeo Village

Nimfeo village is designated a “traditional settlement” and is one of the most beautiful villages of Greece. It has kept the traditional and scenic cobblestone streets, the 19th century stone-built mansions and the mystic aura of the old times. Wander through this panoramic village exploring the past and present in this authentic environment. It will definitely take your breath away!

Arcturos Bear Conservation Area

ARCTUROS is a non profit, non governmental, environmental organisation (NGO) founded in 1992, focusing on the protection of wildlife fauna and natural habitat, in Greece and abroad.

The foundation of ARCTUROS was driven by constant need to solve the problem of bear and wolf imprisonment; a common occurrence at the time. It was that need, which led to the creation of a complete action framework, under the umbrella of ARCTUROS.

Our walk through the village and the natural beech forest will take us to Arcturos Bear Conservation Area. Here we will meet the hosted bears in a specific area of 50,000 m2 with an altitude of 1,350 m. and visit 12 of them that used to be captive. Now they are looked after because unfortunately cannot be released to their natural habitat due to different issues.