If you go: Mount Olympus
How to get there
Mount Olympus is between the northeastern provinces of Thessaly and Macedonia. The closest large city is Thessaloniki, about 47 miles north. From Thessaloniki, rent a car or take a train to Litochoro at the foot of Olympus. A car will cost about $61 per day, and a one-way train ticket about $5. For train schedules, visit www.ose.gr and click on EN for English.
Where to stay
Hotel Aphroditi
Enippeus No. 1, Litochoro
011-30-235-208-1415
Some rooms overlook the main square. Doubles about $61, including breakfast.
More lodging
www.pieria-tourism.gr
Website of the prefecture of Pieria, which includes Litochoro. Click on the British flag for English.
Spilios Agapitos refuge
011-30-235-208-1800 (and 1239)
The rest stop of Prionia is the last place accessible by car on Mount Olympus. From there, you must hike between three and four hours to reach the refuge, the most popular of the seven on the mountain. At an altitude of 6,890 feet, it offers bunk-style beds, good food, two fireplace-warmed dining areas, and the Zolotas family who runs it. Open May-October. Bring your own sheets, towels, bathroom supplies, and flashlights. Beds about $12.
Where to eat
En Olympo
Main Square, Litochoro
Local specialties such as oregano-spiced grilled mushrooms, wild boar baked with plums, garlicky yogurt dips, goat soup, lemon-grilled lamb chops, and cuttlefish baked in wine and onions. Dinner for two $30-$61.
Spilios Agapitos refuge
(Above)
A full-service kitchen offers comfort food for tired hikers. The menu includes the traditional navy bean soup called fasolada, spaghetti in a hearty tomato-based meat sauce, baked veal, salads, and slabs of excellent feta. Also, snacks such as fruit, Power Bars, cookies, and cakes, and cappuccino. Do not miss the local tsipouri, a liquor similar to ouzo, and the heavenly mountain tea, made from wild herbs that grow on Olympus. Lunch and dinner about $10-$16, breakfast about $5.
What to do
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus has 52 peaks and covers about 193 square miles, so there is plenty to explore. Though you can travel from Litochoro to Prionia by car, the hiking trail between the two is beautiful. It begins at Myli in the upper part of Litochoro and crosses the dramatic Enipeas Gorge. In the second half of the trail is the Aghios Spileo (Holy Cave), where the ascetic Saint Dionysios lived. The monastery named after him is under reconstruction, but it has several friendly monks. Nearby are the waterfalls of the Enipeas.
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