Leptokarya, a settlement in the prefecture of Pieria, belongs to the municipality of Dion – Olymp and is part of the municipal unit of East Olymp. The places of this area rest on the Aegean Sea, and at the same time they are in the arms of the mythical Mount Olympus!
The top of Olympus is located at an altitude of 2,917 m. It is no coincidence that the mythical gods chose Olympus as their abode in ancient times. The Mountain of the Gods casts its shadow over the Olympic region full of beautiful villages, each unique. If you visit it, you will love it and it will captivate you forever. Its special topography – Mount Olympus and the long coast – create a unique microclimate. From the early hours of the morning, the sea breeze begins to blow towards the mountain, carrying the iodine and salinity of the Gulf of Thessaloniki.In the afternoon, the wind direction “turns” in the opposite direction. Oxygen and the scents of the flora of Olympus descend to the sea. This constant and constant movement of winds creates this microclimate. This is why this area has been inhabited since the Neolithic!
During prehistory (3,000 BC) settlements were created, such as Levitra, Heraklion and Dion. Levitra, the city of Orpheus and Eurydice is located just above Leptokarya. A few kilometers further below the castle of Platamon, there is ancient Heraklion, a trading port of that time. A very important settlement is Dion, the holy city of the Macedonians, about 15 kilometers from Leptokarija. Archaeological excavations have revealed a part of the city and every visitor has the opportunity to visit the ancient city as well as the Archaeological Museum of Dion and learn about the culture of the ancient Macedonian Greeks. Here Alexander the Great, before starting his campaign against the Persians which reached as far as India, made feasts and offered sacrifices to the gods of Olympus.
One of the most organized tourist destinations in this region is Leptokaria, built at the foot of Mount Olympus. It is the center of the area with a long sandy beach, a large market, shops, supermarket, doctors’ surgeries, pharmacies and banks. Hotel units, apartments for rent, restaurants, taverns, cafes and bars are located along the coast.
Starting from Leptokarya you can visit traditional villages in the beautiful dense forests of Lower Olympus. At a distance of 8 km from Leptokaria is Old Panteleimonas, with stone houses built in the rhythm of the local traditional architecture of the last century and waiting for you to enjoy its colorful taverns, overlooking the Gulf of Thessaloniki, local Mediterranean cuisine and take you back in time, giving you the feeling that time has stopped here at the beginning of the 20th century. Continuing on the same path through dense pine and beech forests, you will come across Old Skotina and Old PoriContinuing the route you will come across the place of Platamonas, a beautiful tourist village with many fish taverns around the port and you will end up in Nei Pori, a tourist resort with an endless sandy beach. The small town of Litohoro, the “gateway” to the peaks of Olympus, is located northwest of Leptokarija. It is a place with traditional houses and picturesque streets, from where you can start your ascent to the peaks of Olympus. This area is dominated by the Enipeas gorge, a famous and rare nesting place for eagles, which you can reach by footpath. There is also the monastery of Agios Dionisios, which will enchant you from the first moment. Descending from the mountain, you will see from above the Byzantine castle of Platamonas, which you can visit and enjoy in the South Pieria area.
Finally, the visitor has the opportunity to visit Katerini (25 km.), the capital of the prefecture of Pieria and Thessaloniki (100 km.), a city with many Byzantine monuments, museums and large shops. You can also visit Meteora, a complex of monasteries built on imposing rocks, and the ancient capital of the Macedonians, Vergina.
