Olympus lies between Thessaly and Macedonia, and its highest peak, Mitikas rises to 2,917 meters high.

Olympus is the highest mountain range in Greece, universally known from Greek mythology as it was home to the 12 Gods of ancient Greece.

The 12 Gods lived in the canyons -“Olympus creases” as Homer called them- where there are their palaces, while the Pantheon – today’s Mitikas- was their meeting point.

Olympus stands out for its rich flora and fauna and is the first area in which a special protection regime was established 50 years ago, as it was declared a National Forest in 1938.

In 1981 UNESCO declared Olympus an MAB Biosphere Reserve.

Information:

Olympus lies on the border between the prefectures of Pierria and Larissa, 18 km from Litohoro beach and 20 km away from Elassona. The limits of the mountain spread in a circle around its roots, with a perimeter of 150 km and an average diameter of 26 km whereas the overall area covered is 600 square km.

The mount Olympus has numerous deep ravines and a lot of regularly shaped peaks (many of which are more than 2,000 meters high). The highest and most impressive peaks are steep though. Apart from Mitikas other impressive peaks are Skolio and Stefani, which are 2,911 and 2,909 meters high respectively.

These peaks rise almost vertically, thus forming an arrow called ‘Megala Kazania’ (the Big Cauldrons), the biggest precipitous funnel-shaped hollow of Olympus, being 1,000 meters wide and 600-700 meters deep

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Infrastructure:

• On the southwest side of Olympus, in the municipality of Elassona, there are numerous small villages that can host visitors in traditional guesthouses and let rooms.
• On the east side there is Litohoro, with advanced tourist infrastructure, a town that can accommodate quite a lot of guests.
• On Olympus there are five (5) mountain refuges that can accommodate hikers and alpinists.
  
• On the site Vrisopoules there is a ski run, which is accessible to the visitors after they contact the officer responsible for the military installations.
• On Olympus there are two designated trails, the European E4 and the National O2.

Olympus offers:

• Many opportunities for activities in nature such as hiking, mountaineering, mountain cycling, skiing and air sports.
• The opportunity to go on holidays and excursions in a unique natural environment.
• Multiple journeys of a religious interest, given that in Elassona area there are many historical monasteries like Panagia Olimpiotissa, Sparmos, Kanalon and others.
• The unique opportunity of climbing to the highest mountain peak in Greece, that is Mitikas.

Suggestions:

• Visit the monastery of Olimpiotissa in Elassona, Kanalon monastery out of the village Karia, Agia Trias monastery in Livadi of Elassona and Sparmos monastery outside the village Sparmos.
• Go on excursions to the villages Livadi and Karia combining good food and nature activities. In Livadi you can visit the Folklore Museum ‘Giorgakis Olimpios’.
• Visit the archeological sites of Azoros and Ancient Dolichi. Near the Archeological site of Azoros there is the Military museum of the Sarantaporo battle, which you can visit as well.
• Stay in Litohoro and visit the site Prionia, where there is a tavern and a resting place, and the small waterfalls of the river Enipeas (near its springs). On leaving this place, following the European trail E4 you can reach the mountain refuge ‘Spilios Agapitos’.
• Visit Dion, the sacred city of the ancient Macedonians that was dedicated to Zeus and the Twelve Gods.