When we started this guide Macedonia was divided into three administrative regions:
Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia. Very simple.

However, since the 2011 reorganization of Greek administrative regions Western Macedonia has become part of the "Decentralized Administration" of Epirus and Western Macedonia; Eastern Macedonia has become the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace which is part of the "Decentralized Administration" of Macedonia and Thrace. Not so simple.

These changes presumably make sense to some politicians and civil servants, and perhaps it even works for the inhabitants. It means that the Greek part of Macedonia has been politically split up and that Western Thrace has been swallowed up by the new Macedonian administration.

For the present the My Favourite Planet guides to Macedonia and Thrace will not be altered to reflect these political changes. One of the main reasons being that for travellers and tourists much remains the same. For example, public transport to places in Western Macedonia are still centered on Thessaloniki and not on the new administrative centre Ioannina in Epirus (see How to get to Macedonia, Greece). There are very few buses and no trains between Epirus and Western Macedonian towns and villages.

In the table of regions and regional units below the essential information remains the same.

The Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, capital Thessaloniki, is divided into two regions: Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Each region is divided into regional units, which are further subdivided into Municipalities, Municipal Units and Communities. Also not so simple.

Although Thrace (the part of Thrace in Greece, also known as Western Thrace) is now administratively part of Macedonia, My Favourite Planet has a separate section for this area:

The My Favourite Planet travel guide to Thrace.