Ancient DION , in the foothills of Mount Olympus, was the Macedonians' sacred city. At this site - a harbour before the river mouth silted up - the kingdom maintained its principal sanctuaries: to Zeus (from which the name Dion , or Dios , is derived) above all, but also to Demeter, Artemis, Asclepius and, later, to foreign gods such as the Egyptians Isis and Serapis. Philip II and Alexander both came to sacrifice to Zeus here before their expeditions and battles. Inscriptions found at the sanctuaries referring to boundary disputes, treaties and other affairs of state suggest that the political and social importance of the city's festivals exceeded a purely Macedonian domain.

 

Most exciting for visitors, however, are the finds of mosaics, temples and baths that have been excavated since 1990 - work that remains in progress whenever funds allow. These are not quite on a par with the Veryína tombs, but still rank among the major discoveries of ancient Macedonian history and culture. If you're near Mount Olympus, they are certainly worth a detour, and the abundance of water and vegetation make it cooler and more pleasing on the eye than many sites. The frog-ponds and grazing geese in a lush landscape littered with voluptuous statuary lend the place the air of a decadent Roman villa and its gardens.

At the village of DHÍON (Malathiriá until the archeological discovery), 7km inland from Litóhoro beach or reached by #14 bus from Kateríni, take a side road 400m east from the Hotel Dion , past the remains of a theatre , put to good use during the summer Olympus Festival. The main site or "park" lies ahead (daily: summer 8am-7pm; winter closes 5pm; ¬2.40). A direct, signposted, paved road links Dion to Litóhoro, crossing a formerly out-of-bounds army firing range; coming from Litóhoro take the Olympus road and keep going ahead instead of turning left up the mountain. Recommended for an overnight stay is the decent Hotel Dion , which stands at the crossroads by the bus stop (tel 03510/53 682; ¬43-58), 100m below the museum; on the pedestrian street linking the two are a few tavernas firmly pitched at the tourist trade. The nearest campsites are on the beach at Varikó, 11km away: Stani (tel 03520/61 277) and Niteas (tel 03520/61 290), both open all year round.

The integrity of the site and its finds is due to the nature of the city's demise. At some point in the fifth century AD, a series of earthquakes prompted an evacuation of Dion, which was then swallowed up by a mudslide from the mountain. The place is still quite waterlogged, and constant pumping against the local aquifer is necessary. The main visible excavations are of the vast public baths complex and, outside the city walls , the sanctuaries of Demeter and Aphrodite-Isis. In the latter, a small temple has been unearthed, along with its cult statue - a copy of which remains in situ . Two Christian basilicas attest to the town's later years as a Byzantine bishopric in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. An observation platform allows you to view the layout of the site more clearly.

In the village, a large but poorly labelled museum (Mon 12.30-7pm, Tues-Sun; winter Mon-Fri closes at 5pm; ¬2.40) houses most of the finds. The sculpture, perfectly preserved by the mud, is impressive, and accompanied by various tombstones and altars. In the basement sprawls a mosaic of Medusa, along with the finest mosaics so far discovered at the site: they would have paved the banquet room and depict the god Dionysos on a chariot. Upstairs, along with extensive displays of pottery and coinage, is a collection of everyday items, including surgical and dental tools perhaps connected with the sanctuary of Asclepius, the healing god. Pride of place, however, goes to the remains of a first-century BC pipe organ , discovered in 1992 and exhibited on the upper storey.