Sklithro is a small village located about 40 kilometres southwest of Florina

Florina

Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...

, the capital of Florina peripheral unit in northwestern Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. It is situated in a picturesque valley at the foot of the Vitsi

Vitsi

Vitsi is a former municipality in Kastoria peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kastoria, of which it is a municipal unit. It takes its name from Mount Vitsi which is the highest point within the municipal unit. The...

 mountain range halfway along the Amyntaio – Kastoria

Kastoria

Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...

 local road.

Sklithro is currently inhabited by about 600 permanent residents.

History

At its peak in the first part of the twentieth century, the population of the village had reached about 3,500 inhabitants. There were two Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

n and one Greek school in the village in the beginning of 20th century. The population decrease can be attributed to many causes including World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the population exchange with Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 following the Treaty of Lausanne

Treaty of Lausanne

The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...

, World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, as well as the Greek Civil War

Greek Civil War

The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...

 which had a devastating impact on Sklithro and the surrounding region. Following the Civil War, the village saw a mass exodus of people migrating to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, and other European countries, where opportunity and a better way of life existed. Today, the village is experiencing a bit of a rejuvenation. Many of the formerly abandoned homes have been or are in the process of being renovated. Agriculture continues to be the mainstay of the village and is celebrated with an annual potato festival in the month of August. During the summer months tourism also plays an important role as many of the former residents return to visit the land of their birth or ancestors. Also, nearby are the tourist attractions of Nymfaio

Nymfaio

Nymfaio is a predominantly Aromanian village and a former community in Florina peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. After the 2011 local government reform it became a member of the municipality Amyntaio...

 and the Arcturos

Environmental Centre ARCTUROS

Environmental Centre ARCTUROS commonly known as Arcturos, is a Greek ecological organization which focuses its efforts on saving the brown bear and its habitats.-Activities:...

bear refuge.