The vast majority of municipalities in Thessaly have recorded population decline, as the demographic crisis has made an alarming appearance across the country in recent years. Pupil numbers in schools have fallen worryingly, leading some to suspend operations altogether while others continue with just a handful of students, in some cases only one or two.

However, the municipal unit of Chrysomilia, part of Meteora’s municipality, is not part of this negative trend. Indeed it is an exception to it when it comes to births is entirely different.

Most of the families in the area have three or more children, a tradition that has been upheld faithfully and consistently for many years, with young couples choosing to stay in their village and start a family rather than move to major urban centres or abroad.

“Seventy per cent of couples in our village have three or more children,” Nikos Stefopoulos, president of the Chrysomilia municipal unit, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, describing a trend followed by young couples who choose to stay and build their lives in Chrysomilia.

About the village

Chrysomilia, one of the liveliest villages in the wider Pindus region, lies 50 kilometres from Trikala at an altitude of 900 metres, on the northern slopes of Mount Neraida. According to local residents, the name derives from a local variety of apple once grown in the area, known as “skioupia,” or “golden apples.” Today, the forest surrounding the village consists mainly of cedars, firs and chestnut trees.

Residents work mainly in farming, livestock rearing and beekeeping, as well as seasonal forestry work. Numbers swell during the summer months, while the village’s permanent population stands at around 500, according to Stefopoulos.

He says very few couples have just two children. Having large families has become something of a custom and tradition in Chrysomilia, with today’s young people continuing what their grandparents once did. The village has its own primary school and nursery, and, as Stefopoulos points out, young people have no wish to leave for the big cities.

Chrysomilia is full of life, with several tavernas and cafes that fill up with young people every evening, all of them holding down various jobs and unable to imagine spending any real length of time away from their village.

Although Chrysomilia was burned down by German occupying forces in 1943, many of its stone houses and churches survive, along with the Monastery of the Taxiarches (the Archangels) and the old bridges at Koukourava and Rountzi. Every year around the Feast of the Assumption in mid-August, the village hosts a festival with music, dancing and an abundance of local produce.

Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the mayor of Meteora, Lefteris Avramopoulos, said:“Chrysomilia is a remarkable example of a living village that holds on to its people, and above all its young families. Over the past two and a half years, we have worked hard to stand firmly behind our villages, particularly those determined to keep their life and their prospects alive.

“Working with the 5th Regional Health Authority of Thessaly and Central Greece, we upgraded the local health centre, while we secured 600,000 euros from the Ministry of Sport and Deputy Sports Minister Yiannis Vroutsis for the upgrade of the football ground, which is expected to be ready during 2027. At the same time, we have carried out works at the primary school and the nursery, and every year we support local livestock farmers with clearances and improvements to the rural road network. It is also worth recalling a lovely moment that put Chrysomilia on the map well beyond our municipality’s borders: its Decency Award 2024 from the International Press Union of Greece. Chrysomilia proves that our villages can have a future. We will keep investing in their people and in the infrastructure that allows them to stay and build their lives where they belong.”