Paxi Cultural Village

Paxi as the European Cultural Village for 2004: In 2004, Paxi island was named the European cultural village. The Cultural Village of Europe is a European network which aims to provide a status to smaller rural and suburban places and help sustain the village culture in Europe. Starting from the 18th of April 2004, celebrations began in Paxos with various cultural events.

Representatives from all the other eleven cultural villages of Europe took part in these events. The delegates were introduced to not just the local landmarks, like the Venetian fortress on St. Nicholas islet, the archeological site of Magazia, the Art Gallery, the Folk Museum, but also to the local cuisine and customs.

Traditional dancing to the tunes of the Orchestra of Paxos and an exhibition by local artists were other events. A boat parade by torch-lighted boats inside the small port of Loggos was followed by a photo exhibition and a dinner party for the delegates.

In May and June, delegates from each of the twelve villages arrived in groups of two villages to not just taste the culture of Paxi but also to promote their own culture to the inhabitants. The French singing and dancing, the Dutch colorful costumes, the Czech music, the Italian cuisine, wines, and cantrillia dances and the Hungarian delicious wines left behind a score of memories on Paxi.