Kassandrino is a traditional village of about 100 houses in just about in the geographical center of Kassandra. It's still only 5 km from the sea. Like most small mountain villages in Greece, its population is falling- from 386 in 1981, to about 250 today. It's elevation is about 100 meters, which arguably does not make it a mountain village, but, surrounded by hills, and sitting on a couple different topographical levels, it feels like a mountain village. Kassandrino is beautifully situated among pine trees and fields, and, as mentioned, hills.
The village is in a valley sandwiched between 2 large nature preserves, the Kassandria-Fourka forest to the west, and the Anastasitiko forest to the east. All those trees adding oxygen to the atmosphere make Kassandrino air quality exceptionally clean and healthy. Its best-known local products are its honey and its olive oil.
Its main church, a simple, hewn-stone rectangular structure built in the 1950's, is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. There is a large celebration every August 15th. The feast day of the Assumption is Greece's 3rd-largest religious holiday, after Easter and Christmas. There is also the church of the Holy Trinity, which is built over an old catacomb, and has some nice, old wall frescoes.
The village was named after the larger Kassandreia, 5 km to the northwest, which in turn was named after the general Kassandros, heir to part of Alexander's empire. Kassandra also takes its name from Kassandros. Farmers from Kassandreia would pasture their flocks in the area of Kassandrino.
There is evidence that the valley where Kassandrino was inhabited as far back as centuries before Christ. People lived there during the early Christian era as well. The village was destroyed completely by the Ottoman Turks in 1821 when Greece revolted after 400 years of occupation.
There are a few nice traditional tavernas in the village, and about a dozen places where you can rent a room or small apartment for a holiday.
