In Northern Greece, I stumbled upon the surprisingly beautiful area around Loutraki. I was on the way back to Sofia from Siatista and Nymfaio and passed the town. I used the Navmii Greece navigation app and chose to avoid the highways. Then, before Loutraki, I passed through the village Orma. There are some good restaurants on the main square - I can recommend Restaurant Dionysos. Really a lovely square with a small canal passing right through. I visited in September, the weather was perfect. The colours of autumn made the whole trip just beautiful. This unknown part of Greece has so many surprises. Traveling to Northern Greece was a good decision - I was about to find out. I continued to the town of Loutraki and looked for a guesthouse. There are plenty. Still, if you're here in the high season or on holidays, it's best to have a reservation.

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The reason Loutraki in Greece is such a fantastic place to visit is the mineral water pools, just west of town. Look for 'Loutra Loutrakiou' in Google Maps and go for a swim! The pool in the picture below is just one out of several. Entry costs 2EUR per pool as of September 2017. The pool is filled by a warm waterfall. It's so good to have the waterfall massaging your back - incredible that you get a good shower temperature straight out of nature! This water then overflows out of the pool and gets to the river you see in the picture. There's a cold waterfall outside of the pool, that you can get to. Have it massage your shoulders. It feels like you're getting a beating, the water really roughs you up in a good way. Your shoulders will be completely loosened up. Now get back to the warm pool. After some fine relaxation, get back to Loutraki. It's possible to go on foot - take it easy and enjoy the fresh air. Then, have dinner at one of the restaurants of Loutraki and be satisfied with this new discovery on your travel list!

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Note: there's another Loutraki on the coast, so you might not find the one I write about here. So, look for 'Loutra Loutrakiou' to make sure you find it!