Pieria! Unique experiences!
Images, senses and experiences in an area. On the one hand, the mythical mountain Olympus and the Pieria mountains next to it, invite you to explore them. To reach the top of Greece, to feel like a modern mythical god and to gaze at the endless blue, the Aegean Sea. On the other hand, the Thermaikos gulf stretches, closing on the sandy beaches all the blue of the sea.
You are in Pieria, a place full of experiences, images and senses. If you want to choose a destination that combines tradition and modern infrastructure, classic buildings and luxury, mountain and sea and all this at close distances, then Pieria is definitely your choice! Whatever your starting point, access to the area is easy by car, train or plane, as Thessaloniki's "Macedonia" airport is only an hour away. One thing is certain: Pieria will become your favorite destination, since it can offer you all the comforts you are looking for.
Destinations in Pieria
Litochoro
Few places can combine both mountain and sea, like Litochoro, the town that currently has 7,000 residents. Built at the foot of Mount Olympus and near the Pieria coast, it is a starting point for excursions to the highest mountain in Greece and the award-winning beaches of the area. Litochoro provides all kinds of services to visitors all year round, like mountain climbing entertainment or a tour of the nature’s “diamonds” of the area. From Litochoro starts the most popular mountaineering path of Olympus, in the place "Milloi", which crosses the amazing Gorge of Enipeas to the place "Prionia".
The route on the verdant slopes of the divine mountain, parallel to the river, with natural lakes, waterfalls, wooden bridges, and fascinating slopes formed in the gorge that separates Olympus and ends in Litochoro is the ideal way to admire the surrounding environment. before you start hiking to the Muses Plateau and the peaks. The whole area is suitable for mountain biking and canyoning, 4 x 4, cycling, climbing the slopes, or the artificial climbing slopes in Litochoro.
Olympus Mountain
Olympus, "the mountain of the gods", the source of ancient myths and the highest mountain in Greece, dominates the borders of Thessaly and Macedonia with its imposing, solid mountain mass. Full of deep ravines, high peaks that reach up to 2,918 meters ("Mytikas" peak), and countless paths from which many brave people have walked, the first National Park of the country, an area with great biodiversity, stands like a giant tower, with its circular shape that extends to a perimeter of 150 kilometers.
The mountain attracts thousands of visitors every year. Admirers of the charm of the unique natural environment who enjoy touring its slopes, climbers who aspire to conquer the peaks. From the classic starting point at the eastern base, Litochoro, the various mountain and climbing routes are at the disposal of visitors who want to explore its beauties, while mountain shelters provide space for relaxation and enjoyment of the fresh air.
Ancient Dion
At the foot of Olympus, 5 km from the sea, is Dion, a holy city of the Macedonians, dedicated to Zeus and the twelve gods. The excavations, which had begun in 1928 and continue to this day, revealed rich finds from the Macedonian, Hellenistic, and Roman eras, which are in the Archaeological Museum of Dion.
The Archaeological Park of Dion includes, in addition to important findings, the Ancient Theater, where during the Olympus Festival the ancient tragedy is revived, while other performances are held. To the south and on the borders of the settlement of Dion, with the Sanctuary of Demeter in the west, is this unique construction of the Hellenistic era, which dates to the reign of Philip V (221-179 BC).
It is built on the slope of a natural hill, with a northeast orientation, which, according to Vitruvius, is suitable for good ventilation of the area. Construction-wise, the theater was shaped with excavation and artificial earthworks and the result of these interventions is the harmonization with the natural landscape, making it unique in its kind. After the installation of wooden stands, today it can hold 4,000 spectators.
Paleos Panteleimon
Paleos Panteleimon is a picturesque settlement in the region of Pieria, protected by the European Union. It’s located on the slopes of Lower Olympus, on the northeastern side. At an altitude of 700 meters, it offers a wonderful view of the Thermaic Gulf and the coasts of South Pieria.
The settlement is estimated to have been built in the 14th century, while in the 1970s it was restored and reborn. It is characterized as a traditional settlement as it is one of the best examples of traditional Macedonian architecture in northern Greece. Its beautiful streets, its restored stone mansions but also its rich flora and fauna, offer the visitor unique images. The traditional local color of the settlement as well as the short distance that separates it from the tourist resorts of Pieria and the Athens-Thessaloniki national road made it an attraction for visitors and passers of southern Pieria, which is about 100 km from Thessaloniki.
In the central paved square of the settlement are the church of Agios Panteleimon, the old school, and traditional taverns. Just outside the settlement is the only environmental school in the area, which is suitable for hiking, mountain biking, and 4x4 routes.
Platamon Castle
The Middle Byzantine Castle of Platamonas, a uniquely preserved Castle dating back to the Frankish era, is built next to today's Platamonas, by the sea, at the southeastern foot of Mount Olympus. The imposing Tower inside, a trademark for passers in the area, rises in the center of the medieval castle, which was a strategic checkpoint for the passage from Thessaly to Macedonia by land and sea.
The Castle has changed "owners" many times over the centuries and with its successive conquests, it tells the very history of the area. From its construction (1202-1204) it hosted knights, after the Franks, it was annexed to the Despotate of Epirus, it changed hands between Turks and Venetians, it was occupied by Greeks before it passed to the Turks again, to play a role until the Second World War. The Castle is visitable and in a good condition, offering with its characteristic layout (enclosure, citadel, tower) a medieval experience under Mount Olympus.
Enipea Gorge
Starting from Litochoro, in the place "Myloi", at an altitude of 400 meters, where Enipeas supplies water to the area with its crystal-clear waters and reaching the sources of the mythical river, at an altitude of over 1000 meters (place "Prionia"), the Hiking in the gorge of Enipeas is a unique experience. With the sounds of the waters as background noise from the unique river, the flow of which is continuous all year long, the 9 km of the ideal nature route, either as an ascent or from the springs to Litochoro, is the best hiking offered by the mountain.
The path is wide, with many alternations, and well maintained. It belongs to the international hiking trail E4, which includes the most beautiful hikes from the Pyrenees to Crete. The whole route is characterized by dense vegetation, with impressive slopes, ravines and canyons, picturesque wooden bridges, small waterfalls, and swimming pools. Aromas from the wild herbs of Olympus, such as thyme, oregano, and mountain tea, stimulate the sense of smell, while the landscape is completed by wild strawberries and wild roses, walnuts, and dogwood, beeches and black pine. The water of the river is drinkable in almost all its places, while its temperature is close to 0 degrees.
Orlia Gorge
One of the most important streams of Olympus, the mythical Elikonas, where the Pierides Muses, the Mainades, wanted to wash their hands in the clear water to atone for the murder of Orpheus, crosses the slope of Olympus and forms waterfalls and natural pools. With its current name, the Orlia stream is accessible by car from the village of Dion and offers a very beautiful route to Olympus.
Orlia Gorge, at an altitude of 1100 meters, is the most famous and most visited gorge on Mount Olympus, in addition to its refreshing tour is ideal for canyoning. It offers steep descents, with the longest being 27 meters long and a short distance from one rappel to another. It offers a beautiful view of the walls of the gorge and ends with the famous waterfall of the "Red Rock", 20 meters high. In the green and impressive area flows the transparent waters of the gorge, while there are many slides and small ponds for diving, swimming, and water games.
Holy Monastery of Agios Dionysius
At the foot of Mount Olympus, three kilometers from Litochoro is the Holy Monastery of Agios Dionysios on Mount Olympus. This is the part of the old Monastery founded by Agios Dionysios, which was destroyed by the Nazis in 1943, so the monks founded the new monastery, not far from the first one, which still operates today. The relics of Agios Dionysios, part of the Holy Rood, icons of the 15th-19th century, and ecclesiastical relics of great historical and artistic value are kept in its sacristy.
Fifteen kilometers from the new monastery is preserved the cave where Agios Dionysios practiced. The Monastery follows the Mount Athos tradition and develops spiritual and charitable activity with all-day confessions and spiritual teachings, as well as dialogues, conferences, and all-night vigils. It is celebrated on the 23rd of January, on the feast of Agios Dionysios of Olympus, and on its premises, the feast of the Cross is celebrated every 14th of September.