CULTURAL STANDARD
MODERN LIFE

In the Prefecture of Serres there are 350 clubs of cultural, educational, sports and ecological interest, involving a wide range of activities.

The Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Serres is heading in every cultural activity for many years. Involving many and different activities, such as cultural, educational, entertaining, sports etc, contributes to the cultural picture of Serres. The Cultural Centre's activities cover many sectors: Literature, painting, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, cinema, photography, music, theatre, ecology, chess etc. In the Cultural Centre there are teams working on the preservation and restoration of archeological monuments and architectural inheritance etc.

There are also Cultural Centres operating in Pentapolis, N. Zihni, Rodopolis, Chryso, N. Petritsi and so on.

In the sector of education we can't ignore the contribution of the Prefectural Committee of People's Educationworking on particular sectors such as: illiteracy, English language, computer science, secretarial, economists, jurists, carpentry, making of traditional instruments, handicraft, folk dancing, knitting, sewing etc.

Also, the Departments of professional training, the Educational seminars, the Centre of Working Girl and the National Welfare Organisation are continually organising educational courses of different topics.

The Cultural Association of Serres and People's University have become an institution in cultural matters. They are continually giving a cultural fight by acting in timeliness.

"Orpheus" Club is a tradition for Serres while there is a choir and a theatrical department.

The Greek Folk Dancing School has taken the responsibility to boost the traditional Greek customs, to preserve the traditional folk dances and songs, the Greek dresses and Greek music in order to keep Greek tradition immutable.

The Greek Mountaineering Club of SerresThe has managed to spread its passion about nature, the mountains and the country to many people and especially the young ones.

Generally, the presence of the Youth in the different kinds of festivities and activities is very obvious. However, the Youth's respond to the cultural and sports sectors is extremely coridal.

Societies, such as the ones of Sarakatsani, Vlachs, Asians Minor etc., Cultural and Folklore Club all based in Municipalities and Village Counties, are taking part in the cultural life of the Prefecture of Serres.

In the whole Prefecture of Serres, many cultural activities are continually organised and meetings and scientific symposiums are accommodated. This strenuous cultural effort in the Prefecture justifies the prediction that Serres is rapidly developing into a cultural centre of Northern Greece.

Apart from the archeological Museum of Serres and the Folklore Museum of Sarakatsani, there is also a Folklore and War Time Museum in Serres, which is accommodated in a room of the Country Council and an Ecclesiastical Museum, which was founded in 1988 under the initiative of the Church, in order to collect and preserve the priceless ecclesiastical treasures, that were found in the area. There is also a permanent exhibition of folklore material which has been collected with great care, and a wonderful selection of original Greek, traditional dresses, silver-decorated belts with silver buckles, silver jewellery etc.

There are many Folklore Museums in the small towns of the Prefecture, as well. That shows the dedication of the inhabitants to history, tradition and culture of the area. It is worth mentioning the effort that is made by Em. Papas village in order to transform and operate the old school of the village as a Museum. Em. Papas is named after the Commander-in-Chief of the 1821 Revolution in Macedonia.

In Proti, a village in the Prefecture of Serres, there is an elegant, simple and plain building, which even though is not a Museum, is open to everybody. It is neat, clean and hospitable and who ever wants to visit it, is more than welcome. This house is the family house of the President of Democracy, Mr Constantine Karamanlis.

The house was built in 1905. Constantine Karamanlis, who was the first son of the family, was born there on 8th March 1907. All, eight children of the family were born in that house and brought up in to separate rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. The exception to this role was Constantine, who had the privilege of having his own room and table for his books.

In March 1941 the family of Constantine Karamanlis left Macedonia and moved to Athens. Since then, they never returned to their house in Proti, even though it belonged to them until 1951, when they sold it. Later, the house was bought back by his younger brothers at the name of Constantine and since then the house is full of life every summer, when the whole family gathers together.

Nowadays, the house has changed shape after the reconstruction and preservations on the exterior part. From the outside it looks elegant and imposing, while in the internal part of the house no changes have taken place for the past twenty years. In the entrance there is a visitors' signing in book. The large living room is full of family pictures and heirlooms. There are also many photo albums, filled up with pictures from the President's political career.

The inhabitants of the village, who are full of respect for the President, the person who restored Greek democracy and envisaged the future of Greece through E.E.C., are always willing to narrate events from his life to the visitors, who have a coffee with them at the coffee house.

In the Prefecture, there many radio stations and television channels, whose range covers the Prefectures of Kavala, Halkidiki, Pella, Kilkis and also a big part of Thessaloniki, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. There are also five daily newspapers, five weekly newspapers, two monthly magazines and an annual diary including the events that take place in the city of Serres, all published here.

The city of Serres houses the Technological Educational Institute with two departments: 1. Management and Finance Department, divided into three departments: (a) Business Administration (b) Accounting and (c) Department of Foreign Languages and Physical Education. 2. Technological Applications Department, divided into four departments: (a) Mechanical Engineering and (b) Civil Engineering (c) Information and Communication Sciences and (d) Geomatics and Surveying. There is also a Physical Education Department which belongs to Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

In the Prefecture of Serres there are many sporting facilities: eight National stadiums, 147 Gymnasiums belonging to the villages, two tennis courts, one National and three Private Swimming-pools, three National Sports Centres and many more courts, gymnasiums etc. There are 158 football clubs, from which seven of them belong to one of the National Divisions. Finally, there are 31 clubs, involving sports such as: athletics, swimming, water-polo, basketball, volleyball, resiling, skiing, climbing, tennis, synchronized swimming, and so on.

The Prefecture has a satisfying number of nursery schools (70% in the city and 80% in the region). There are also infants' schools in the city of Serres and in a few urban areas such as: Heraklia, Sidirocastro, N. Zihni, Nigrita, etc. There are three institutions for children with special needs, six Old People's Centres, two Old People's Homes and a Health Institution for Old People who suffer from Chronic Illnesses in Nigrita.

Serres General Hospital offers 376 beds. In the Prefecture there are six Health Centres with 34 surgery branches. There is also a Mental Hospital, a Family Planning Centre, an Artificial Kidney Unit, which are all connected to Serres General Hospital. Finally, there are five private clinics.

The Prefecture of Serres is connected by road and by railway with Thessaloniki and is the first stop over towards Drama, Kavala and Thrace, while is the only exit from the country on the way to Bulgaria. As a result, the position of the prefecture has to do with the functional development of Keystone (Patra-Athens-Volos-Larisa-Thessaloniki-Kavala). In other words the Prefecture is of "strategic importance" as far as transport is concerned and also the interesting production in the protogenic and secondary sector.

Moreover, the recent political developments in the ex-eastern block, in combination with the geographical position of the Prefecture, have turned the Customs of Promahon into a gateway for the countries mentioned above to Greece. That has created even better conditions for the Prefecture's development.

The business and industrial world of the Prefecture after taking advantage of its abilities, attempts a big commercial step towards the countries of the ex-eastern block, with obvious positive results for both the Prefecture's and the whole country's economy. The already blooming economy of the Prefecture is facing an obvious prespective for greater development.

The economic bloom of the Prefecture is in step with a similar way of life. As well as the city of Serres, the big Municipalities and the urban centres of a wealthy agricultural countryside are developing rapidly. However, the beautiful contrasts between traditional and modern remain unchangeable, despite the fast speed with which the Prefecture "travels" to the future. Where ever you go, you can see quaint provincials moving harmonically towards modern life. Next to the luxurious shops old ladies sell their gardens' beans. Every Tuesday, in the great bazaar of Serres, donkeys and carts move between catalytic cars in a picture that combines the vulger, simple and modern elements and gives a captivating result.

But this is looking at Serres from one side only. As the night approaches the city's colours are changing and Serres transforms into a scene from a fairy tail. The pace is so fast that it doesn't slow down until the early morning hours. Even though the Prefecture hasn't been classified as a touristic one, it has taken advantage of the natural environment to such a degree, that in connection with the private initiative, have both created the conditions that are essential in order to welcome its visitors. Most of all, it's the hospitable attitude of the inhabitants that creates a beautiful picture for the Prefecture of Serres.