The whole world knows the myths of ancient Greece. Anyone who finds himself in this country hears legends about Zeus, Hercules or Aphrodite everywhere. And where to put the gods? The Greek people settled in the mountains. As time passed, the Greeks adopted Christianity. Who inhabits the mountains in Greece now?
Mountain country
Greece is the fifth high-altitude country in Europe. Most of the country is covered with mountain ranges - even on the seashore and islands. Mountains in Greece are an inseparable part of the landscape and the historical and cultural character of Greece. Two mountain ranges, Pindus and Rhodope Mountains, stretch across the whole country.
The Pindus mountain range is the backbone of mainland Greece. In the most ancient period, mainland Greece, the peninsula Ionian islands and islands Aegean constituted a single land mass. Rhodopes are a continuation
The harsh living conditions explain the fact that there are far fewer mountain villages in the country than settlements in the lowlands.
Mount Olympus
The most high mountain in Greece - Olympus, known to the whole world thanks to the ancient Greek mythology. Mountain range, consisting of 52 peaks ranging from 760 to 2918 m high, with steep ravines and high peaks, rocky peaks, deep gorges, and dense forests.
Diverse peaks, thick fog, low clouds and frightening summer thunderstorms at the summit - this is the appearance of Olympus. One can easily imagine that it aroused awe and admiration for the ancient Greeks who lived in the foothills (excavations show that settlements here existed already in the 16th century BC). The inaccessibility of life on the top of the mountain for people and the natural religiosity of the ancestors of the present Greeks were expressed in the folk epic by the legends of the twelve gods living here headed by Zeus.
Today, Orthodox churches and monasteries have been set up in the country on the sites of former idols' temples or near them. The tallest mountain in Greece is no exception. The chapel of the saint at the summit of 2803 m was built in the 16th century by Saint Reverend Dionysius of Olympia. This small church, 1.6 m high, is made of dolomite slabs found in the surrounding area. Every year, on the feast of Elijah the Prophet, the monks of the monastery of St. Dionysius rise to the chapel to serve the Divine Liturgy here. Hundreds of believers join them.
Mount Psiloritis
Ida (or Psiloritis) is the highest mountain in Crete. Greece has always been a religious country. Here, not only legends and myths about the gods were formed, but also temples and sanctuaries were erected.
Psiloritis is a mountain in ancient Greece, at the top of which there was a sanctuary, and myths tell that Zeus was born and raised here. Now, on the top of Psiloritis, the Church of the Holy Cross (Timios Stavros) has been erected. The church is built of stones without a binder solution according to the same technique as mitato - shepherd's huts, common in the mountains of Crete.
September 14 is the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-giving Cross of the Lord in Greece (in Russia this holiday falls on September 27). This is the holiday in honor of which the chapel was erected. On the eve of September 13, the inhabitants of Crete come to the foot of the mountain to go all the way to the top together with the priest and spend the night there. The next morning, on the day of the feast, they join the service inside the small church.
In a sermon on the Exaltation of the Cross, he says: "The cross is raised up, and the enemy power of Satan, defeated, falls and is crushed. The cross is raised up, and all believers flock. The cross is raised up, and the cities triumph and the nations celebrate."
Meteora
Meteora is a collection of huge dark sandstone rocks. This amazing place- a monastic state, located on the majestic steep cliffs.
The first inhabitants of Meteor were hermits-monks who, moving away from earthly goods, settled in small caves and rocky depressions. Where you can indulge in prayer and spiritual life away from people.
Today Meteora is the second most important monastery complex in Greece after the Holy Mountain. Monasteries are located on the tops of sheer boulders.
Mount Athos
There are no mountains more amazing than mountains in Greece. Athos is a monastic state, and the only such place on the planet. Mount Athos in Greece is dedicated to deed of prayer and worship of God. Holy place that she took under cover Holy Mother of God, where the monastic prayer for peace is incessantly raised. Prayer not only by Greeks, but by Orthodox monks from all over the world. Here, in addition to Greek, there are Georgian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Russian, Romanian monasteries.
The ancient Athonite monasteries preserve innumerable riches: the relics of the holy saints of God, Christian relics, miraculous icons. But the main wealth saved on the Holy Mountain is a thousand-year spiritual life in the traditions of glorious Byzantium and other Orthodox peoples. Athos is a spiritual school of repentance and humility, where the unity of Orthodoxy is manifested in all its diversity.
Ancient Greek myths and Christianity
Despite the fact that myths in Greece are found everywhere you go, they are only myths - fairy tales. As in Russia, the tales of Baba Yaga and Lesh. The people keep the legends of the ancient Greek gods in memory and tell tourists with love. But the true faith is Orthodoxy.
The Greeks are ready to climb the mountains during church holidays, perform the sacraments of Baptism and Wedding on the top of the mountains, go to the mountains to spend their whole life in prayer. And what happens now: the mountains in Greece are the place where ... God lives?
Greece is known to us as one of the cradles of civilization, as the homeland of many great people, as the source of countless myths and traditions, and in the end, as the homeland of a wonderful, cheerful people. And, of course, we can say that he owes his glorious history to the land that has sheltered him.
This land is very diverse, almost the entire territory of Greece is covered with mountain ranges, which are interspersed with rare river valleys, the climate changes dramatically with a change in altitude, because on sea coast it is always warm, and snow caps lie on very close mountain peaks all year round.
So, let's talk about the most famous Greek mountain, familiar to the whole world.
The highest mountain in Greece, without any doubt, can be called a legendary mountain, or rather one of its peaks - Mitikas, reaching 2919 meters above the sea.
Olympus is located on the border between Greece and Macedonia. It consists of more than five dozen peaks with heights ranging from 760 meters to the highest point of 2919 meters.
These peaks are cut through by countless ravines, creating beautiful and rather eerie landscapes. The highest mountain in Greece was conquered only by 1913.
Olympus on the map:
The ancient Greeks believed that Olympus was the home of the twelve major gods.
Under the leadership of their leader - Zeus - they defeated the titans, after which the world came to order.
The summit is always covered with snow, and in clear weather it sparkles under the light of the sun.
The ridge is at least 20 kilometers long.
Ordinary tourists climb only to the foot, but people with special training will be able to get to highest peak in 6 hours.
The base for climbing the mountain and when visiting the reserve is the village of Litokhoron, which is located near the foot.
The territory that is adjacent to the mountain - national reserve for about 75 years. It is known for its rich flora and fauna.
There are even relic animals.
There are deer, badgers, wild boars, wild cat in the forest.
Almost 1,700 plants of various species grow on Olympus itself.
The reserve is rich in birch and oak forests, Macedonian spruces.
For many centuries, a unique yew grove can be seen near the Dionysius monastery.
The name of the mountain has long been a common noun, and means something very significant. So, even the highest mountain of Mars is named Olympus.
Greece ... a country rich in vibrant colors, incredible architecture and mysterious story... The place where the most famous and popular gods were born ... Probably everyone who read the myths and legends of Ancient Greece dreamed of visiting there! Visit ancient temples and walk the streets where every pebble is filled ancient history.
For those who have decided to fulfill their dream and travel around Greece, you need to think over your route properly. Indeed, for curious tourists such attractions are a real treasure. Behind them there is a whole mythological story associated with the emergence of humanity and the gods. But you definitely need to start your route from the place where the inhabitants of heaven lived. From Mount Olympus.
According to the logic of the ancient Greeks, the gods could live only at an unattainable height. That is why the Greeks, as a mountain people, placed their pantheon on Olympus - the most high mountain in the region. So Mount Olympus is not a myth, but a real massif in the north-east of the country, on the border of Macedonia and Thessaly, just 90 km south-west of modern Thessaloniki.
According to mythology, the palaces on Olympus were built by the one-eyed giants, the Cyclops. Their mysterious tribe was freed from the kingdom of the dead (Tartarus) by Zeus. In gratitude, they gave him power over thunder and lightning. Hephaestus forged decorations for palaces in his workshop on Olympus. The entrance was through a cloudy gate, which was guarded by lesser gods.
The dwelling of Zeus and Hera with windows turned to Athens, Thebes, Sparta, Corinth, Argos and Mycenae. At the other end of the palace were the servants' rooms, and in the middle were the rooms of the other gods. Homer wrote that the wind does not blow on Olympus, there is no rain or snow, everything is bathed there in a jubilant light. And there is no way for mere mortals ...
However, in modern world everything is much simpler. And the route to mysterious mountain Olympus has long been worked out. It has been known for almost 200 years that there was a real ancient city and everyone can look at its ruins. In addition, now people live in those places again, and the ruins of temples coexist with completely inhabited villages.
Mount Olympus also has monuments of Orthodox culture. The most famous of them is the monastery of St. Dionysius, built in the 16th century. at an altitude of 820 m. A little to the west, at an altitude of 1020 m, is the monastery of the Holy Trinity, which once possessed enormous wealth and was engaged in educational activities. Currently, the monasteries are being actively restored and are active.
Mount Olympus itself has become a monument: since 1938, on the territory of the massif there is national park established to protect a unique ecosystem. More than 1,700 plant species have been found on Olympus and in the surrounding area, 23 of which are found only here.
But before talking about climbing, you first need to find out exactly where Mount Olympus is, how to get to it and not go astray.
An ordinary mountain asphalt road from Litochoro to Prionia - the starting point of the most popular route, located at an altitude of 1100 m.Please note: the last section of this section is not asphalted, so if you are going to drive a rented car, it is better to worry about good insurance in advance.
You can get to Katerini by train and bus from Athens or Thessaloniki. In Katerini, you will have to change to another bus going to Litohoro, and then take a taxi or rent a car to Prionia. Or go on foot, if the 18 km of mountain serpentine does not scare you. Bus timetables in Pieria area can be found here.
The most popular route has 2 stages:
From Prionia at 2100 to Spilios Agapitos Shelter (commonly referred to as “Shelter A.”)
From "Shelter A" to the Skala pass (peak), from which you can climb Mitikas or Skolio
The entire journey to the top from 1100 m usually takes no more than 5-6 hours. But for inexperienced "climbers", especially with children (climbing is allowed from the age of 8), it makes sense to choose the option with a 2-day hike: 1 day - 1 stage. The same should be done if you went to Mount Olympus not early in the morning, when the peaks are not yet covered with clouds.
One of the most famous mountains on our planet is Mount Olympus. The sacred mountain is revered by the Greeks and is known all over the world thanks to Greek mythology, studied at school. Legend has it that it was here that the gods lived, led by Zeus. Famous in myths Athena, Hermes and Apollo, Artemis and Aphrodite ate ambrosia, which pigeons brought them from a spring in the garden of the Hesperides. In Greece, the gods were not considered fictitious soulless characters, on Olympus (in Greek the name of the mountain sounds like “Olympus”) they feasted, fell in love, took revenge, that is, they lived with completely human emotions and even went down to earth to people.
Description and height of Mount Olympus in Greece
It would be more correct to apply to Olympus the concept of "mountain range", and not "mountain", because it has not one, but 40 peaks at once. Mitikas is the most high peak, its height is 2917 m. It is overtaken by Skala from 2866 m, Stephanie from 2905 m and Skolio from 2912 m. The mountains are completely covered with vegetation of various species, and there are also endemic plants. Mountain peaks most the years are covered with white caps of snow. 
Until the beginning of the 20th century, people were afraid to climb mountains, they considered them inaccessible and forbidden. But in 1913, the first daredevil climbed the most high point Mount Olympus - it was the Greek Christ Kakalas. In 1938, the territory on the mountain of almost 4 thousand hectares was declared a national nature park, and in 1981 UNESCO declared it a biosphere reserve. 
Climbing Olympus
Today ancient legend and the myth can become a reality for everyone. Ascents are organized to Olympus, and not mountaineering, but tourist, in which people who do not have sports training and mountaineering equipment can take part. Comfortable and warm clothes, two or three days of free time, and the sights from the picture will appear before you in reality. 
Although you can climb Olympus on your own, it is still recommended to do it as part of a group, with an accompanying instructor guide. Usually, the ascent begins in the warm season from Litohoro - a city at the foot of the mountain, where there is an information tourist base and hotels of various levels of service. From there, we move to the Prioniya parking lot (height 1100 m) on foot or by road. Further, the route is only on foot. The next parking lot is located at an altitude of 2100 m - Shelter "A" or Agapitos. Here tourists stay overnight in tents or a hotel. The next morning, an ascent to one of the peaks of Olympus is made.
At the peak of Matikas, you can not only take memorable photos and videos, but also sign the magazine, which is stored here in an iron box. Such an experience pays for any excursion prices! Upon returning to the shelter "A" daredevils are awarded certificates confirming the ascent. V winter time(January-March) there are no ascents on the mountain, but the ski resorts are starting to work. 
Olympus in the life around us
Unusual stories about Greek celestials have entered our lives so much that the names of the gods and Mount Olympus itself are called children, cities, planets, companies, sports and shopping centers... One such example is the Olimp tourist and entertainment center in the city of Gelendzhik. Cable car 1150 m long from the base of the Markot ridge leads to its peak, which tourists call Olympus. It offers a stunning view of the bay, lake, dolmen valley and mountains.
Greek mountains
The Greek land is rightfully considered one of the cradles of today's civilization. At least in the European expanses, its culture has become almost the most important in determining the development of many local peoples (and not only neighboring ones).
Many iconic philosophical trends, the foundations of culture, literature, art and a fair number of others that determine the movement of nations towards civilization moments, all somehow had Hellenic roots.
Is it worth mentioning that this power, every square centimeter of which breathes with legends of ancient times, and hitherto attracts many foreigners with its beauty? ! Tourists come to admire not only the preserved architectural masterpieces but also on natural wonders. Moreover, often, the subject of their interest is the highest mountain in Ancient Greece.
Mountain range "Olympus"
To determine which of them is larger than the others, it is not a sin to at least recall ancient mythology. Where could the Greeks "settle" their supreme gods, if not on the hill closest to heaven? Therefore, undoubtedly, Olympus can be considered the highest. By the way, this is not a single mountain, but a whole massif located in the northeastern part of Thessaly (the historical region of Hellas). Its most significant peak, in terms of "growth" indicators, is considered Mitikas, whose height is about 2917 meters. Skolio is five meters below him and Stephanie is another seven meters. The latter is better known by the nickname "the throne of Zeus", and at a certain angle it really seems like a kind of giant back of a chair or a place where someone great and regal sits.
In ancient times, Olympus was the natural border between Greece and Macedonia. It is not surprising that this was exactly the case, since this mountain range seemed very frightening to the then inhabitants of those places, in order to dare at least approach it, and not what to try to cross. In this array there are about fifty peaks and a fair number of ravines, which together represent a magnificent and, at the same time, seemingly ominous sight.
Conquerors of Olympus
However, for sure the indecision of the Greeks (and their then geographical neighbors), in terms of conquering Olympus, was influenced by the sacred horror of the great likelihood of becoming a victim of divine wrath. To disturb the peace of the most formidable celestials (a dozen of whom were allegedly found in those places), led by the Thunderer Zeus himself - what could be worse in the minds of those peoples! ?
The first climbers appeared on Olympus only at the beginning of the last century. At the same time, the highest mountain in Ancient Greece was submitted to them. By the way, even now only people who are super experienced in such matters try to ascend to Mitikas, since a fair amount of skill is required here, and the weather, by the way, must certainly be favorable.
Olympus now
Now Olympus is interesting not only as a legendary location, but also as a Greek national reserve. It contains over one and a half thousand plants, which represent about a quarter of the entire fauna of this country, and a couple of dozen of them are endemic (that is, they exist only here). Also in this mountain range there are about ten species of amphibians, twenty with a little - reptiles, more than thirty - wild animals and about one and a half hundred - birds.
To see this wonderful world, marked by ancient mythology, is certainly worth at least once. If you do not climb the legendary mountain, but at least personally see it, which will give you the opportunity to touch the ancient history full of mysteries.
