The modern village of Nea Skioni was founded in 1918, in110 km away from Thessaloniki, on the site of a small fishing village, near the ancient city of Skioni, which once existed here. The new settlement was named after the ancient Skioni with a small prefix "nea", which is translated into Russian as "new". The first town of Skioni is considered to be the oldest colony on the peninsula of Chalkidiki.
According to the historians, it was built right after the end of the Trojan War by the warriors from Peloponnese who decided to spend winter in this land. The captive women of Troy were so enamored of the local beauties that they burned the ships of their invaders and forced them to marry them in order to stay here forever. According to another version, they simply did not want to continue the path and be sold into slavery.
The place where the city was founded was of special strategic importance, since the fortifications here were created by nature itself and perfectly protected from the raids of various invaders. Being rich in timber, this area had made an impressive contribution to the development of trade and helped the formation of shipbuilding.
It was the first city that merchants and seafarers who came here from the southern seas met on their way. It was from here that some ships began their journeys and the other arrived to sell or exchange their goods for wine, oil, honey, timber and other treasures of Skioni. Thus, this city had a direct connection with many other famous and significant ancient cities.
The most important sight of this region is the Church of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary (Panagia Faneromeni), dating back to the 16th century and adorned with magnificent frescoes. A unique icon of the Virgin Mary, painted on a marble pedestal for a statue is stored In the temple. They say that this icon came by sea from the coasts of Thessaly.
Nowadays Nea Skioni has a shape of an amphitheater built around a small port, where fishing boats arrive every day to deliver fresh fish to local taverns. The main activity of the local residents is tourism. It is worth noting that the beach of this village was awarded with the blue flag of the European Union and, perhaps, that is why one may meet dolphins that sometimes swim close to the shore.
