Loutrochori(on) () meaning "bath town"; formerly Paina, Πάινα and Bania, Μπάνια meaning "baths")Pandektis: Name Changes of Settlements in Greece, Retrieved on 30 November 2016, compiled by the Institute for Neohellenic Research is a village in the Pella regional unit, of Macedonia in Greece. Previously part of the community of Petraia, it became a separate community in 2020.Λουτροχώρι (Πέλλης), EETAA local government changes According to the 2021 census, it has a population of 399. The village is on a hill and thus it has a view of the surrounding countryside.

Loutrochori is situated north of the A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos, or A2, the Greek part of the E90) and south of the EO2 (or E 86). The nearest railroad (train) stations, on the OSE's Thessaloniki–Bitola railway, are east (Petraia), southeast (Episkopi) and northeast (Skydra). The Loutrochori area was famous from ancient times for its spa. The spa (iamatica loutra, ιαματικά λουτρά) of Loutrochori (spa-drinking therapy) Ιαματική Πηγή Λουτροχωρίου (Δήμος Σκύδρας), History and Information about the baths of Loutrochori is situated just away near the local mountain of Canber ().

History

Ancient era The Loutrochori area has been a spa from the 4th century BC under the Macedonian Kingdom.

Modern era Modern Loutrochori is a relatively new village; it was founded in the 1920s by the first Greek refugees from Pontus, under the name "Μπάνια" (Bania). After the Greek Genocide and the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), a large number of Pontic Greek refugees arrived at the village as a result of the population exchange under the Treaty of Lausanne. In 1926, the village's name was changed to "Λουτροχώρι" (Loutrochori).

Demographics CensusPopulation 1913 1913 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1913 (πληθυσμός των νέων χωρών) - Σελ. 16 23 1920 1920 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1920 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 244 56 1928 1928 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1928 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 286 165 1940 1940 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1940 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 316 323 1951 1951 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1951 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 155 367 1961 1961 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1961 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 149 435 1971 1971 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1971 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 147 391 1981 1981 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1981 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 155 739 1991 1991 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 1991 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 190 483 2001 2001 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ), (Απογραφή 2001 (πραγματικός πληθυσμός) - Σελ. 191 466 2011 458 2021 399

The village's population grew rapidly after 1923. After the Second World War and the Greek Civil War, the population steadily declined as residents moved to larger towns and cities or emigrated.

The inhabitants are (100%) ethnic Greeks and Greek Orthodox Christians.

Geography

Loutrochori is the southwestern part of the municipality of Skydra. It is southeast of the regional unit capital of Edessa in Central part of Macedonia in Greece. Loutrochori is bounded by the Imathia to the southwest and it is northwest of the Imathian capital Veria. It sits at an elevation of around above mean sea level and the population is approximately from 500 (in winter) to 800 (in summer) inhabitants.

Loutrochori covers an area of some , between the mountains Vermio () to the southwest, Voras () to the northwest and Paiko () to the northeast.

Loutrochori is located at a distance of northwest of the present day Greek capital - Athens by road, north of the royal capital of ancient Macedon - Vergina, west of the first capital of the Greek Macedonian Kingdom and birthplace of Alexander the Great - Pella and northwest of Thessaloniki, the present-day capital of Greek Macedonia.

Locations and distance

Nearest places Place - Regional unitkm - nm Plevroma Pella 2.5 1.6 Polla Nera Imathia 3.0 1.9 Petraia Pella 3.5 2.2 Rizo Pella 3.8 2.4 Arseni Pella 4.8 3.0 Marina Imathia 6.7 4.2 Episkopi Imathia 7.4 4.6 Kesariana Pella 7.4 4.6 Sevastiana Pella 8.1 5.0 Skydra Pella 8.8 5.5

Big cities Citieskm - nm Naousa 21 13 Edessa 21 13 Veria 28 17 Giannitsa 32 20 Thessaloniki 82 51 Kozani 85 53 Larissa 185 115 Kavala 228 142 Athens 533 331 Constantinople 670 416

Climate

The average temperature is 14.8 degrees Celsius and the average rainfall about 470 millimetres per year.

Loutrochori has a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The warmest month is August, with . Record high temperatures of up to . The coolest month is January, averaging .

Economy Loutrochori produces cherries, apples, some strawberries and peaches.

Gallery

Churches and Chapels in Loutrochori

References

External links Loutrochórion (Pélla, Macedonia, Greece) Map of Central Macedonia. - Loutrochori NW (20) A blog about Loutrochori Primary school of Loutrochori Kindergarten of Loutrochori Loutrochori (epigraphy, Delacoulonche 242,24)