The highest, most magical and most dramatic of all Greek mountains,
Mount Olympus - Ólymbos in Greek - rears straight up to 2917m from the shores of the Thermaïkos gulf and, when pollution allows, is visible from downtown Thessaloníki, some 100km away, to the northeast. Its summit was believed by the ancient Greeks to be the home of the gods and it seems that quite a few locals still follow the old religion - whether as the result of incredible continuity or a recent revival it's difficult to ascertain. Dense forests cover its lower slopes, and its
wild flowers are without parallel even by Greek standards. To make the most of it, you need to allow two- to three-days' hiking.
You should go equipped with decent boots and warm clothing, but no special expertise is necessary to get to the top in summer (mid-June to Oct). It's a long hard pull, though, requiring a good deal of stamina; winter climbs, of course, are another matter, with heavy snowfall quite low down adding to the challenge. At any time of year Olympus is a mountain to be treated with respect: its weather is notoriously fickle, with sudden fogs or storms, and it regularly claims lives
The mountain
To reach alpine Olympus, you've a choice of road or foot routes. With your own vehicle, you can
drive deep into the mountain along a fairly decent road, the first 11km of which is now paved - with the same treatment controversially planned soon for the remainder. There is an information booth at Km3, where (in high season anyway) your nationality is recorded and you're given some literature advising you of the park rules, but so far there's no admission charge. It is much better, however, to
walk in from Litóhoro, as far as the monastery of Ayíou Dhionysíou, and beyond to the two trailheads following.
As for the final ascent routes , there are two main paths: one beginning at Priónia, just under 18km up the mountain at the road's end, where there's a spring, toilets and a primitive taverna (May-Oct); the other at a spot called Dhiakládhosi or Gortsiá (13km along), marked by a signboard displaying a map of the range. The Priónia path is more frequented and more convenient, the Dhiakládhosi trail longer but more beautiful. A 1800-metre driveway, appearing on the main road at 15.5km (about halfway between the two trailheads), leads down to Ayíou Dhionysíou. At the spot called Stavrós, 9km above Litóhoro along the road, there's a third refuge (really a roadhouse, officially called Takis Boundolos ; tel 03520/84 519), but it's not conspicuously welcoming and usually booked up, though it does have the highest cardphone on the mountain.
