Mountains of Greece: geology, climate, hydrography, flora and fauna, characteristics of mountain ranges. What is the highest mountain in Greece
April 17 - May 4, 2009
Everyone knows that in Greece there are ancient ruins and the sea. But few people know that in Greece there are also wonderful mountains. And our trip was dedicated specifically to the mountains, or rather kayaking along the rivers flowing in these mountains. Yes, yes, it turned out that Greece really has everything, even kayaking.
We flew to Thessaloniki by German Wings via Cologne. The path turned out to be long and “hooked”, but the choice of flight was due to the need to carry kayaks with you, and German Wings provides one of better conditions for the transportation of sports equipment, transportation is booked and paid for at the stage of buying tickets, and then everything goes without the slightest problem. Moreover, this has already been confirmed by several trips to Europe.
This time I will not talk about the choice of housing, buying tickets, obtaining visas. For all this there is the Internet, a visa is obtained at the Greek visa center in 2 days, in general, everything is easy and simple. I will try to convey some impressions from the trip and back them up with photos.
The mountains
The Greek mountains are very old and therefore have very deep valleys: 
At the same time, they are relatively low, rarely rise above 2,000 meters, so in April they are all green, and the snow remains only on the peaks: 
But the clouds still like to linger on the tops: 
Reservoirs are built on the rivers: 
And the dams supporting them: 
It's a pity that cars were not allowed on this dam, because of this we had to make a detour of almost a hundred kilometers to get to the river for 4 days.
Spring, everything around is blooming (by the way, Albania is already behind the mountains in the background): 
And, of course, olives grow, this staple of the entire Mediterranean. Even Hippocrates counted several dozen therapeutic uses of olive oil, so the inhabitants of Greece (just like Italy and Spain) should be distinguished by enviable health!
I even took a picture of a tree and was sure that it was olives. But already in Moscow they rightly corrected me that it was almonds :) Well, nothing, it’s also a useful product: 
Fat herds of various tasty and healthy animals roam around: 
Hares crawl out on the roads at night. It is very funny to chase a big-eared one along a winding highway at a speed of 40 km / h. For some reason unknown to me, he cannot jump out of the headlight beam, so he runs in front of the car for quite a long time, up to several minutes. We even had a business idea for hunting, but unfortunately our chief hare specialist Petya Voskoboynikov did not support it :).
Despite the spring, if you climb higher, you can find a ski resort that has just closed: 
This is Vasilitsa, one of the main Greek ski resorts. Small by alpine standards, but worth a visit if you are in those parts in winter.
One of the modern Greek "wonders of the world" is undoubtedly the canyon of the Vikos River. This is one of the deepest canyons in the world: 
Along the bottom of the canyon, there is a picturesque and accessible to most hiking route 12 km long, which runs between the villages of Monodendri and Vikos. 
Before starting the route to Monodendri, it is worth visiting the monastery on the edge of the gorge, from where magnificent views open up. If you go a little beyond the monastery, then along the rock along the cornice there is a path, its width does not exceed one and a half meters, there is no fence, and in which case you will have to fly far down. But, despite this, a lot of people walk along the trail.
One of the main difficulties of this route is the return to the starting point. If you have only one car (and I did go there alone), then you have to leave it in Monodendri. And to go back from Vikos you need several tens of kilometers. Of course, there are taxi options, but I decided to save money and hitchhike back. And it turned out that there are good people in Greece too! The first half of the journey I was given a ride by a group of middle-aged Greeks, who almost simultaneously climbed out of the canyon with me. And a guy from Albania drove me to the finish line, who did not know a word in the languages I knew, but nevertheless made a detour on purpose to take me to the place. Thank him for this :)
Unfortunately, I lost my camera just when I got out of the canyon, and therefore all the photos from below disappeared, only those that I took earlier remained: 
But this is just an excuse to go back there again.
The deep and narrow valleys of Greece also determine a rather specific road network. Here, for example, what an enchanting serpentine rises from the end of the Vikos canyon: 
Roads rarely go along rivers, they usually jump from one pass to another. And so I had to travel a lot. So, on the upper Aoos, with a length of the rafting section of about 25 kilometers, the asphalt road along the coast takes more than 100. But there are a lot of roads and they are of good quality: 
Due to the complexity of the road network, you should not set off on a journey without proper preparation, you need to stock up on maps and pray well to the “iron brain” that will guide you along the way: 
But knowing the right road is not enough, Greek serpentines require excellent driving skills. It’s good when there are multi-strength trucks that can pull the car of an unlucky driver out of a ditch: 
Despite the mostly good roads, sometimes it was necessary to move off the asphalt: 
And there may be different things: 
But there are no places that the valiant strength of wild kayakers cannot overcome: 
We are all used to the fact that in Europe there is complete order on the roads. But on the roads of Greece, a large number of real goats are regularly found! 
And turtles: 
But seriously, the impression from the Greek drivers is rather strange. On the one hand, they drive quite politely, they don’t be rude, they don’t cut and don’t squeeze, they let them pass on overtaking. On the other hand, they don't really follow the rules. traffic. Overtaking on a double lane? You are welcome! Exceeding the speed limit on the highway is also possible. Although our Russian drivers in the sense of not giving a damn about the law will give the Greeks a huge head start!
Rivers
But the main thing we were looking for in Greece was raftable rivers. And we found them, we managed to swim very well: 
Basically, the rivers are not very high-water, abound in stones and require accuracy: 
They flow in deep gorges and some rapids are almost impossible to encircle, you have to swim in any case: 
But the complexity is moderate everywhere, so everything was within our power: 
Around is usually very picturesque, but you should not click your beak, first alloy, and then beauty :) 
If we digress a little, then the boat can sail away separately from the rider: 
And some sections form real canyons with vertical walls. A little rest in front of the canyon and you can swim: 
Usually (but not always) there are no special obstacles in the canyons, and therefore you can safely admire the surroundings here: 
But you shouldn’t meddle in some canyons, this one, for example, ends with an impassable breakthrough, although everything looks peaceful and calm: 
Some thresholds are too tough for us: 
And they need to be worn out. Well, yes, we are not used to dragging boats: 
One of the gems of the whole trip was the perfect four-meter waterfall, the photo of which is at the very beginning of the story. Of course, we all jumped it with great pleasure: 
But not all waterfalls were within our power. Some had too much height: 
Some don't have enough water. 
Separately, I want to tell you about an amazing natural phenomenon that we met - a siphon in a monolithic rock, where the entire rather full-flowing river goes. Here you can clearly see the lakes at the top and bottom of the siphon and the outlet of the water: 
But what a horror is happening where the water goes into the rock. I don’t even want to imagine situations that someone will end up in this “saucepan”: 
Of course, we surrounded this place, and with a large margin (otherwise you never know what). Ropes were needed to lower the boats and insure people, and those who wished could jump into the lake after the siphon directly from the cliff: 
Probably the main (by total number) sights of northern Greece are arched bridges. We met them everywhere! On alloy: 
On streams on the side of the road: 
In the city of Konitsa, where we lived, one of the tourist attractions was also a bridge with a slalom track under it: 
In general, we met bridges all the time. As rebuilt on the site of the old ones: 
So quite ancient and overgrown: 
And one bridge was a landmark for entering that very impenetrable canyon and signaled that it was high time to throw ashore: 
Meteora
But not all of us had to swim and wander around the mountains. We arranged a day of rest for ourselves and went to Meteora, a stunning natural place and one of the Christian shrines of Greece. Already at the entrance to the city of Kastraki, a view of the amazing rocks opens up: 
It is on these rocks that the meteor monasteries are located. They are completely impregnable, which for many centuries protected them from any troubles: 
The first hermits settled here no later than the 10th century, and the first monastery appeared a century later. 
The very name Meteora, which translates as “hanging in the air”, appeared in the 14th century, it is believed that it was invented by the founder of the monastery “Great Meteor”. The monastery exists to this day and is the largest: 
In the 16th century, when the community flourished, there were 24 monasteries in Meteora. Now there are only 6 left. 
Currently, bridges and stairs have been built to all monasteries: 
But earlier it was possible to get upstairs only in cradles, which were raised by the monks. 
But even now it’s impossible to get into the monasteries “for free”. You have to climb long and steep stairs: 
But not only monasteries are worthy of attention, but also the nature around: 
Despite the fact that the monasteries are the work of human hands, everything else was here before us and will remain after: 
By the way, it was in this monastery of the Holy Trinity that the last scenes of the Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" were filmed. Unfortunately, we did not get into it, it was closed on Thursday, but judging by the film, it is very beautiful inside.
Impenetrable cliffs surprisingly rise above a completely flat valley: 
The places are reminiscent of cowboy films (only where does the forest on the rocks come from in cowboy films? :) 
It's just a Martian landscape: 
Such rocks attract not only pilgrims and photographers, but also athletes. Look carefully at the ridge in the upper left part of the mountain, the red dot is a rather brisk climber, and right below it above the cable is the second one: 
We spent only 1 day in Meteora, and this is probably enough to see all the monasteries and climb the rocks accessible to ordinary people. But this is a place where you want to return, it's so beautiful there! 
Cities
The first place of our stay was the village of Volakas surrounded by mountains in Eastern Macedonia: 
The apartments both inside and outside were pleasing to the eye: 
The village is very small but neat, with a central square and the obligatory church: 
Not far from Volakas there is a river cave, where we arranged an excursion for ourselves. Unfortunately, it was flooded with water and we were allowed only in its initial part. But there was something to admire: 
Natural "air" entrance to the cave, a river flows through the hole nearby: 
After living 4 days in Volakas, we moved to the western part of Greece, to Epiros, to the town of Konitsa. Our apartments: 
The city is located on the edge of the valley and is very picturesque: 
Feels like spring 
Houses covered with ivy: 
The streets rise steeply uphill (the total difference is more than 200 meters): 
Behind the edge of the city mountains begin: 
The city has an interesting attraction - a ruined mosque. After the liberation from the Turks in the 19th century, most of the mosques in Greece were destroyed like this one. And now the ruins remind us that nothing lasts forever under the moon, even the earthly incarnation of the heavenly: 
Not far from Konitsa is the town of Ioannina, the center of Epiros district. It is located on the shore of the lake and, unlike other Greek cities, boasts entire mosques: 
Such tolerance can be explained by the fact that Ioannina was ruled for a long time by Ali Pasha Tepelensky, whose fate is probably well known to many, thanks to Alexandre Dumas. Remember Gayde, daughter of the Pasha of Ioannina. Despite the fact that he was a cruel ruler, Ali Pasha was distinguished by rather progressive views and religious tolerance. Thanks to this, his lands prospered, and a good memory of him was preserved even after his death.
In Ioannina, the fortress walls of the “kastro” have been preserved: 
You can get inside through the ancient gates: 
Inside the walls is the old city with narrow streets: 
Conclusion
We spent over 2 weeks in Greece. They admired the magnificent nature, the most beautiful monasteries, cozy cities and villages. But the main thing is to communicate with wonderful people. Greece has enchanted, probably, each of us, and I personally will return here more than once. 
Greece is a country with an unusually diverse relief. There are many plains and mountains of different heights, each of which plays an important role in human life. What is the most high mountain Greece and what other hills deserve attention?
This mountain is known all over the world due to its significance in Greek mythology. Even at school, there are myths about the gods of Olympus - Zeus, Aphrodite, Hera - who ate ambrosia, and also loved, got angry, took revenge, in general, behaved like ordinary people. The ancient Greeks treated the gods as real creatures and even believed that sometimes they go down to ordinary people.
In fact, Olympus (or Olympus in Greek) is not just a mountain, but a whole mountain range with forty peaks. The largest of them rises to 2917 meters. All peaks are densely covered with diverse vegetation, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. And on the top all year round silver caps of snow lie.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, people were afraid to climb high in the mountains. But in 1913, a Greek named Christos Kakalas finally conquered the highest peak of Mount Olympus. In 1938, the entire mountain range (which is 4,000 hectares) was officially declared a national park. And after 43 years, it also became a biosphere reserve, according to UNESCO.
Can you climb the mountain?
Today, almost everyone can climb Mount Olympus and feel like an ancient Greek god. Numerous sightseeing tours are organized, in which the most pleasant thing is that even a person without sports training, for example, an ordinary tourist, can participate. All you need is to stock up on warm clothes and other essentials for the hike.
There are daredevils who ascend Olympus on their own, but it is still better for a beginner to do this as part of a tourist group. You can climb up to a height of 1100 meters by car, but further - only on foot. Along the way, you will meet a hotel where you can relax.
Near Olympus there are a lot of interesting sights and settlements. For example, noteworthy:
- Dion. Ancient city, which was most actively used to worship the gods. It was somewhat of a cult. During excavations, many interesting things were found here - theaters, temples, baths and other evidence of the rich cultural life of the ancient Greeks.
- Monastery of Saint Dionysius. This building is located directly on the mountainside, at an altitude of 850 meters. On the territory of the monastery there is also a museum where you can see various church utensils, which are more than one century old.
At 2637 meters, this peak is the second highest in Greece. It is surrounded by several villages, and three rivers flow from the mountain. The slopes are covered with abundant vegetation, beech and deciduous trees. In some places there are beautiful alpine lakes.
The mountain range, located partly in Greece, partly in Macedonia, includes a peak with a height of 2524 meters, as well as several other significant peaks. All of them are covered with forests of pine, beech and birch, they function ski resorts. On the main peak there is a small church and a monument to the Serbs who died in the First World War.
This peak has a height of 2520 meters and is also covered with dense forests. Grammos gives rise to several streams and small rivers at once, as well as the largest river in Greece - Alyakmon. There is also a park that includes exhibition halls and some research infrastructure facilities. The purpose of the park is to simultaneously demonstrate the beautiful mountain nature, saturated with the past, and the desire for the future.
A hill with a purely alpine type, the height of which is 2510 meters. Its slopes are very picturesque due to ravines, depressions, meadows. The animal world is also very diverse - predatory eagles fly over the rocks, and wolves and wild boars live in the forests on the slopes. Residents of local villages keep goats and sheep. But there is little water here - there are several sources, but in the summer they dry up.
The sixth highest mountain in Greece (2497 meters) annually welcomes more than 100,000 tourists who are attracted not only by the wonderful nature, but also by the atmosphere shrouded in legends. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Vikos-Aoos National Park. This is a protected area, the behavior of tourists is strictly monitored here. This is due to the fact that the region is a habitat for rare animals, including birds of prey.
The highest peak of this massif reaches 2495 meters, which makes it the second highest in Central Greece and the seventh in the whole country. This is the southern branch of Mount Pindus, which is also divided into three parts - South, West and North. Around the mountain is very lush vegetation, including rare representatives of the flora.
The height of this peak is 2457 meters. Like Olympus, Parnassus played an important role in Greek mythology. It was named after the son of the goddess Cleodora. The gods who lived on this mountain loved art, especially music. According to the legends, they played the lyre, sang and danced - therefore, over time, the hill became associated with Apollo, the god of art and the leader of the muses.
The height of this peak is 2456 meters, only a meter lower than that of Parnassus, and this is the highest point Greek island Crete. It was in one of the local caves, according to legend, Zeus was born. Modern excavations have shown that this cave served as a place of worship for the ancient Greeks, and many religious objects have been found here.
Lefka Ori
In translation, the name of this peak, whose height is 2453 meters, means “bald”. Unlike the vast majority of Greek mountains, Lefka Ori has almost no vegetation on its slopes. Instead, they are covered with limestone, which gives them a whitish color.
This is only a small part of the beautiful Greek mountains scattered around the country. Each of them is truly unique, and each is worth visiting and seeing with your own eyes.
One of the most famous mountains on our planet is Mount Olympus. The sacred mountain is revered by the Greeks and is known throughout the world thanks to Greek mythology, studied at school. The legend says that it was here that the gods, led by Zeus, lived. Athena, Hermes and Apollo, known in myths, Artemis and Aphrodite ate ambrosia, which pigeons brought to them from a spring in the garden of the Hesperides. In Greece, the gods were not considered fictional 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 the concept of “mountain range” to Olympus, and not “mountain”, because it rises not one, but 40 peaks at once. Mitikas is the highest peak, its height is 2917 m. It is overtaken by Skala from 2866 m, Stefani from 2905 m and Skolio from 2912 m. The mountains are completely covered with vegetation of various species, and endemic plants are also found. The tops of the mountains are covered with white caps of snow most of the year. 
Until the beginning of the 20th century, people were afraid to climb mountains, they considered them impregnable and forbidden. But in 1913, the first daredevil climbed the highest point of Mount Olympus - it was the Greek Christ Kakalas. In 1938, the territory on the mountain of almost 4 thousand hectares was declared a national natural 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 climbing, but touristic, in which people who do not have sports training and climbing 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 this as part of a group, with an accompanying guide-instructor. The ascent usually starts at warm time years from Litochoro, a city at the foot of the mountain, where there is an information tourist base and hotels of various levels of service. From there there is a transfer to the Prionia parking lot (height 1100 m) on foot or by car. Then the route is only on foot. The next stop is located at an altitude of 2100 m - this is shelter "A" or Agapitos. Here tourists stay for the night in tents or a hotel. The next morning, an ascent to one of the peaks of Olympus is made.
At Matikas Peak, you can not only take memorable photos and videos, but also sign the magazine stored here in an iron box. Such impressions pay off any prices for excursions! Upon returning to shelter "A", the brave souls are awarded certificates indicating their ascent. AT winter time(January-March) climbing the mountain is not made, but ski resorts begin to work. 
Olympus in the life around us
Unusual stories about the Greek celestials have entered our lives so much that the names of the gods and Mount Olympus itself are called children, cities, planets, firms, sports and shopping centers. One such example is the Olimp tourist and entertainment center in the city of Gelendzhik. A cable car 1150 m long from the base of the Markoth Range leads to its peak, which tourists call Olympus. It offers stunning views of the bay, lake, dolmen valley and mountains.
All significant myths and legends are connected with Olympus in Greece. This mountain is the highest in the country. Rocky cliffs and mountain peaks of Olympus smoothly flow into the park of the same name. The nature around the Realm of the Gods looks so attractive that it seems as if it was created by the Celestials themselves.
Mount Olympus: description
The height of the mountain range Olympus is 2917 meters. Its three famous peaks: Mitikas, Skolio, and Stephanie, are the most high points mountain range.
On the northern slope of the Olympic Mount is the Macedonian sanctuary of Dion. national park Olympus includes 1700 species of local flora and approximately 250 species of representatives of the Greek fauna.
Climbing Olympus today
Previously, no mortal could just climb Olympus. Today, organized ascents are made there, which begin at the local city of Litochoron.
From a height of 1100 meters, a hiking trail to Olympus stretches. This mark can be reached by taxi or private car. Climbing in a group is made from the village of Prionia. There you can also visit the monastery of St. Dionysius.
At an altitude of 2100 meters there are organized parking. From there the path leads to Skolio and Mitikas. The road to the summit must be overcome during the day, it is too dangerous to climb Olympus at night due to unpredictable weather conditions.
« When climbing Olympus, there are rules that can be found in the information center, so as not to anger the Gods, it is better to follow them strictly».
The peaks of Olympus were conquered for the first time in 1913. The ascent was made by Christ Kakalas.
Mount Olympus is considered amazing and very beautiful. It doesn't hurt to know the following about her:
- Olympus is home to the twelve main Greek Gods;
- At Mitikas peak there is an iron box with a special magazine where those who managed to conquer the peak can leave their message;
- Olympus - an object included in the UNESCO list;
- The descendants of the Gods (Greeks) began to call themselves Olympians due to the name of the main mountain of Greece.
The Greeks associated many myths and legends with this mountain. Since Olympus is the cradle of Greek civilization, everything that happens there affects the lives of mere mortals.
One of the myths says that once Hades fell in love with the daughter of Demeter herself and part-time the goddess of fertility Persephone. He stole a girl from Olympus. Then prosperity left the mountain, and the first winter came. Zeus tried to get Persephone back, but she was already married to Hades. Then the Gods made a deal with their underground brother, according to which Persephone would have to spend 9 months on Olympus, and 3 months in the Underworld with her husband.
Olympus is a cultural heritage of the Greeks, a natural monument and an important historical site. His landscapes fascinate with colors and variety. Climbing Mount Olympus is still considered dangerous, although not forbidden. Earlier on sacred mountain people had no right to rise at all, unless they received the personal permission of the Gods. Today, the Gods have mercy, and tourist excursions are organized to Olympus.
Mount Olympus - Mitikas
The highest mountain in Greece is the legendary Mount Olympus, or rather one of its peaks - Mitikas, reaching a height of 2919 meters above sea level. Olympus is located on the border of the Greek Thessaly and the Republic of Macedonia. Mount Olympus is not one peak or two peaks, it is about 50 peaks, the height of which ranges from 760 to 2919 meters. These peaks are cut by numerous ravines that create the most beautiful and awesome landscapes. The highest mountain in Greece was only conquered in 1913.
In ancient times, the Greeks believed that twelve main gods lived on Mount Olympus, who, under the leadership of the main god Zeus, crushed the titans, and after that order reigned in the world.
Climbing Olympus
The top of Olympus is covered with snow all year round, and when the weather is clear, it sparkles in the sun. The length of the ridge, which includes Mount Olympus, is 20 kilometers.
Ordinary tourists do not rise above the foot of Olympus. However, people with special training can reach the summit within 6 hours. The base for climbing the mountain and visiting the reserve is the village of Litohoron, located near the foot of the mountain.
Olympic Reserve
The area adjacent to the mountain has been a national reserve since 1938. Here is a rich animal and vegetable world. Some of the animals are relics. Here you can meet deer, badgers, wild boars, forest wild cats. About 1700 species of plants grow on Mount Olympus. There are birch and oak forests, groves of Macedonian spruce. For many centuries, a unique yew grove has been growing in the vicinity of the monastery of Dionysius.
The name of Mount Olympus has long become a household name, denoting something grandiose. Even the highest mountain on the planet Mars is called Olympus.
