Major Events

There are days you don’t just live through, you remember them forever. Every summer, Vamvakou opens its arms, its square and its stone-paved alleys and invites everyone to leave the pressures of daily life behind. For two whole days, the village lives to its own rhythm, brimming with life, voices, sounds, colors, energy, experiences, and smiles. Handcrafted workshops, mountain, and fresh air; new technologies; flavors that transport you back to Grandma’s kitchen table; stand-up comedy that will have you in tears of laughter; and big concerts under the Parnonas sky. There’s something here for every age and every guest. Come reconnect with nature, with people, and with yourself.

Every June, the mountain awakens with footsteps, breaths, and anticipation. Runners from all over Greece and abroad come to Vamvakou for a celebration of mountain running that goes beyond the race itself. Here, we don’t just count kilometers; we count smiles, personal challenges, hugs, and the applause that accompanies every athlete to the finish line, no matter what time they arrive. With 29, 19, and 7 kilometer routes, the Vamvakou Mountain Run welcomes both the experienced trail runner pushing their limits and the amateur who simply wants to experience the mountain up close. And it offers everyone the same authentic hospitality from a village that welcomes you with open arms.

When Christmas comes, Vamvakou dresses up in lights and becomes the coziest destination of the year. At the highest point of the village, the old school puts on its festive best and becomes the Vamvakou Santa School, a fairy-tale-like multi-purpose venue where young and old alike rediscover their childlike innocence. The festivities begin with the lighting of the Christmas tree in the square: lights switching on one by one, faces beaming, and a day filled with joy that culminates in a grand concert. A stroll through the village that will remain etched in your heart and in your mind.

A summer is worth having mud on your knees, dirt on your hands, and so much laughter it won’t fit in your pocket. Vamvakou Summer Camp welcomes children ages 6 to 12 to a day camp away from screens and the city, offering genuine contact with nature, creativity, and the culture of Parnonas. Here, children don’t just watch, they live. They become little scientists who ask questions, artists who create, and explorers who discover. Every day ends with new knowledge, new friends, and moments they’ll be talking about for a long time to come.

‘Joy,’ ‘fun,’ ‘family,’ ‘teamwork,’ ‘love.’ That’s how the teens themselves describe the NextGen Vamvakou Camp, and we don’t need to add anything. For five days, young people aged 12 to 18 find in Vamvakou a space for 100% authentic self-expression, away from screens (and AI!), where they can simply be themselves. Together with renowned artists, athletes, and organizations, they have experiences they wouldn’t easily find elsewhere, and they leave with friends, memories, and the feeling that their summer was meaningful.