Images, sensations, and experiences converge in a single region. On one side, the mythical Mount Olympus and the Pieria Mountains beckon you to explore, to ascend to Greece’s pinnacle, to feel akin to a modern-day mythical deity, and to gaze upon the boundless blue of the Aegean Sea. On the other side, the Thermaic Gulf stretches out, embracing the entirety of the sea’s azure hues within its sandy shores.

You find yourself in Pieria, a place brimming with experiences, imagery, and sensations. If you seek a destination that seamlessly blends tradition with modern amenities, classical architecture with luxury, mountains with sea, all within close proximity, then Pieria is undoubtedly your destination of choice.

Regardless of your point of origin, access to the area is convenient by car, train, or plane, with Thessaloniki’s ‘Macedonia’ airport just an hour away. One thing is certain: Pieria will capture your heart as your preferred destination, as it promises to provide all the comforts you desire.

Paralia Beach is a tourist coastal destination located in the eastern part of Pieria in Northern Greece. It’s a renowned resort with a strong Mediterranean climate and 10 kilometers of coastline that creates a unique geomorphological environment.

The beach was founded by fishermen after 1922. Due to its exceptional geographical location, it quickly became a popular tourist destination with many hotels and holiday apartments, beach bars offering water sports activities, traditional Greek taverns, and local shops for visitors who not only want to relax during their summer vacations but also experience the local spirit.

Paralia Beach is just a few minutes away from Katerini, the capital of the Pieria Prefecture, a vibrant city with many shops as well as modern cafes, bars, and restaurants to cater to all needs. The locals are always happy to assist you with whatever you need and make your experience even more enjoyable.

The capital of Pieria

Although its foundation and the origin of its name remain mysteries and are still subjects of research to this day, what is certain is that Katerini has evolved into a beautiful, modern city that can offer its residents and visitors significant experiences and quality of life. The capital of Pieria, the mythical land that hosted Gods and Muses, built ancient civilizations, and served as an eternal passage between Macedonia and Southern Greece, now appears in its finest attire, with an urban fabric alternating with greenery, infrastructure and organization, cleanliness, and cultural achievements.

As the “coordinator” of the vast crowds visiting the numerous points of interest in the area, such as Mount Olympus and Pieria, the beaches of the Olympic Riviera, the proud remnants of ancient, Byzantine, and modern times, the small town at the beginning of the century, “Atira” or “Aikaterini,” has grown to accommodate 56,000 permanent residents and captivate its visitors.

Starting from the most beautiful reference point in its center, the Municipal Park, which is one of the largest and most diverse urban parks in the country, Katerini finds ways to balance between the bustling daily life and moments of relaxation and rejuvenation. Walking through the city reveals many attractions, especially in the squares along the center, with statues, monuments, and traditional buildings that evoke the recent and tumultuous past of its inhabitants.

The city is connected to Thessaloniki by highway, at a distance of 70 kilometers, and served by the airport of the Macedonian capital, as well as by railway. In turn, it connects all points of Pieria and travelers to the coastal resorts, mountaineering, and paths of Olympus, the monasteries and churches scattered on the mountain slopes, and the traditional settlements with Macedonian architecture. Between the highest mountain and the boundless sea, between Northern and Southern Greece, Katerini is the ultimate crossroads – one of those that are simultaneously destinations.

Mountain and Sea

Few places can combine the “mountain and sea” diptych as well as Litochoro, the small town that currently counts 7,000 residents. Nestled at the foot of Mount Olympus and close to the shores of Pieria, it serves as a starting point for excursions to the tallest mountain in Greece and the award-winning beaches of the area. With its comprehensive facilities, it offers services to visitors year-round, whether for vacationing, mountain climbing, entertainment, or exploring the natural treasures of the area.

From Litochoro begins the most popular hiking trail of Olympus, at the location “Myloi,” which traverses the stunning Enipeas Gorge up to the point of “Prionia.” The route along the lush slopes of the divine mountain, parallel to the river, with natural lakes, waterfalls, wooden bridges, and thrilling rock formations formed in the gorge that separates Olympus and ends in Litochoro, is the ideal way to admire the environmental beauty of the area before heading higher to the Plateau of the Muses and the peaks. The entire area is suitable for mountain hiking as well as canyoning, 4×4 excursions, cycling, climbing on the slopes, or the artificial climbing tracks in Litochoro.

The settlement preserves traditional Macedonian architecture, with distinctive colors that blend with the environment, forming a wonderful stroll through the alleys and “baires” where time seems to have stopped. The Naval Museum presents the great maritime tradition of the residents who excelled at sea from the 18th century, exploiting the natural position of the place and the timber offered by Olympus. In and around the city, there are churches and chapels, while a short distance away, one can visit the Monastery of Agios Dionysios in Olympus and the old Monastery with the cave where Saint Dionysios lived in the 16th century, which is maintained.

Of course, the heart of the summer beats on the clean beaches of Litochoro, with the azure waters of the Aegean that visitors can admire in all its grandeur from the village and the mountain, and also swim in within minutes at the organized beaches in Variko, Gritsa, Stathmos, and nearby Plaka.

Οlympus, the “mountain of the gods,” the epicenter of ancient myths and the tallest mountain in Greece, dominates the borders of Thessaly and Macedonia with its imposing, compact mountain massif. Full of deep gorges, tall peaks reaching up to 2,918 meters (peak “Mytikas”), and countless trails that many daring adventurers have walked to its “conquest,” it is the country’s first National Park, an area with unique biodiversity, standing like a majestic tower with a circular shape stretching over a perimeter of 150 kilometers.

The mountain attracts thousands of visitors annually. Admirers of its unique natural environment enjoy hiking on its slopes, while climbers aspire to conquer its peaks. From the classical starting point on the eastern foothills, Litochoro, various hiking and climbing routes are available to visitors who want to explore its beauties, while organized mountain refuges provide space for rest and enjoyment of the clean air.

The variety of its habitats is astonishing. The intense diversity of Olympus’s relief, the different orientations of its slopes, the rock formations, the great height, and the short distance of the peaks from the sea create a great variety of vegetation types and habitats. The significance of the Park has been recognized not only in Greece but also worldwide. The summit is only 18 kilometers from the beach of Litochoro, so visitors can find themselves on the snowy peaks in the morning and enjoy a swim in the sea in the afternoon, under the summer sun.

At the foot of Olympus, 5 kilometers from the sea, lies Dion, the sacred city of the Macedonians, dedicated to Zeus and the twelve gods. The excavations, which began in 1928 and continue to this day, have revealed rich findings from the Macedonian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods, which are housed in the Archaeological Museum of Dion.

The place of prayer inside Mount Olympus cave

Located a short distance from the Old Monastery of Saint Dionysios in Olympus, in the Enipeas Gorge, is the Cave of Saint Dionysios, where a small chapel is built. It is a common sight for Olympus hikers, as the trail passing through the cave is the most popular path on the mountain. The cave was used for ascetic practices by the founder of the monastery in 1542.

Saint Dionysios used to pray outside the monastery he had built and equipped, at a distance of 17 kilometers from Litochoro. He preferred the tranquility of the caves and landscapes of Olympus before returning to his spiritual work, and the cave is the third spot in the area for exploring his personality, along with the old and the new monastery located lower down, outside Litochoro. Moreover, it provides a spectacular landscape for relaxation during hiking, serving as a natural fortress amidst the dense forest.

Charm on the Slopes of Mount Olympus

Paleos Panteleimonas is a picturesque village in the Pieria region, protected by the European Union. Spread across the slopes of Lower Olympus, in the northeastern foothills, at an altitude of 700 meters, it boasts stunning views of the Thermaic Gulf and the shores of South Pieria.

The settlement is believed to have been built in the 14th century and was restored and revitalized in the 1970s. It is characterized as a traditional village, showcasing one of the finest examples of Macedonian architecture in northern Greece. Its beautiful streets, restored stone mansions, and rich flora and fauna offer visitors unique sights. The traditional local color of the village, along with its proximity to the tourist resorts of Pieria and the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway, have made it a magnet for visitors and passersby in southern Pieria, located about 100 kilometers from Thessaloniki.

At the central paved square of the village stands the church of Agios Panteleimonas, the old school, and traditional taverns. A little outside the settlement is the unique environmental school of the area, which is ideal for hiking, mountain biking, and 4X4 routes.

Top Tourist Destination in Pieria

Platamonas is the most popular tourist resort in Pieria, located in the southern part of the region, on the Aegean coast and near Tempi. Part of the long Pierian coastline, it boasts many kilometers of beaches, combining golden sand with pebbles, forming coves, offering many organized areas as well as free spaces for swimmers, and, above all, being awarded with blue flags for their quality. The combination of clean and wide beaches with the tourist infrastructure of the area has elevated Platamonas to a top holiday destination for both Greek and foreign visitors for many years.

The town, built at the foot of Mount Olympus, is inhabited by about 2,000 people, mainly engaged in fishing and tourism. The oldest residents come from Paleos Panteleimonas, a traditional settlement 7 kilometers away, which is a magnet with its Macedonian architecture and picturesque buildings. A symbol of the area is the medieval castle, dominating a hill next to the sea, preserved in good condition as a visitable monument, offering a wonderful view in every direction, although the most beautiful view is enjoyed by the adventurous who descend Mount Olympus with a paraglider.

In the Platamonas area, there are hotels and accommodations of all categories, restaurants, fish taverns with seafood from the boats fishing in the harbor, providing a beautiful spectacle on an early morning stroll, as well as all kinds of facilities for complete vacations. Access is easy via highway and train or from Thessaloniki Airport. Platamonas can accommodate up to 125 boats in its high-standard marina, and its location, facing Halkidiki and between the port of Thessaloniki and the Sporades, makes it a busy place for boat hospitality and refuge.

At the foothills of Mount Olympus, 5 kilometers from the sea, lies Dion, the sacred city of the Macedonians, dedicated to Zeus and the twelve gods. The excavations, which began in 1928 and continue to this day, have revealed rich finds from the Macedonian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods, which are housed in the Archaeological Museum of Dion.

The Archaeological Park of Dion includes, besides significant finds, the Ancient Theater, where ancient tragedy is revived during the Olympus Festival, while other performances are also held. Southwards and on the outskirts of the settlement of Dion, with the Sanctuary of Demeter to the west, stands this unique construction of the Hellenistic era, dating back to the reign of King Philip V (221-179 BC).

It is built on the slope of a low natural hill, with a northeast orientation, which, according to Vitruvius, is suitable for good ventilation of the area. From a construction point of view, the theater was formed with cuttings and artificial filling, and the result of these interventions is the harmonization with the natural landscape, making it unique in its kind. After the placement of wooden benches, it now accommodates 4,000 spectators.

Magic and Canyoning at 1100 meters

One of Mount Olympus’s most significant streams, the mythical Elikonas, where the Pierides Muses, the Maenads, wished to wash their hands in the clear water to atone for the murder of Orpheus, crosses the slopes of Mount Olympus and forms waterfalls and natural pools. With its present name, the Orlias stream is accessible by car from the village of Dion and offers a beautiful route to Olympus.

The Orlias Gorge, at an altitude of 1100 meters, the most famous and most visited gorge in Olympus, is ideal for canyoning. It offers endless descents, with the tallest being 27 meters, and a short walk from one rappel to the next. At points, it offers a beautiful view of the gorge’s walls and ends with the famous “Red Rock” waterfall, 20 meters high. In the lush and impressive area, the crystal-clear waters of the gorge flow, while there are many slides and small ponds for diving, swimming, and water games.