FOURTH WAY

OLYMPUS - DION

DION

Dion was an ancient city of strategic importance and one of the most famous Macedonians states. The location of ancient Dion is on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus, where today is located the eponymous town, 83 km away from Thessaloniki. The first written reference to Dion is in Thucydides, who mentioned it as the first city from which came the general of Sparta, Brasidas in 424 BC. During the reign of Alexander, Dion has influential position in Macedonia and in Greece generally. From there began the marshal's campaign for Asia. In the early 19th century, the ruins of Dion had lost in the dense vegetation and water. In 1806 the English traveler William Luc stopped to Dion and identified it with certainty as the location of the ancient ruins of the city. The city was located approximately 4 km from the sea. Archaeological research in the area began in 1928. The excavations brought to light the Temple of Isis and other gods of Egypt, the little church of Ypolympidias Aphrodite, the ancient temple of Demeter,the Hellenistic theater of Phillip of E, the Roman’s 2nd century theater, the stage, the mansion Dionysus with its magnificent mosaics,the cemetery, the shops, the stone columns (in the mosque of Zeus), the conservatory, the walls, musical instruments (such as ydraflis, a musical instrument) and baths. At Dion an archaeological museum is worked since 1983 where you can see all the findings of Dion and of Pieria.

OLYMPUS

Olympus is the tallest mountain in Greece. It’s famous around the world because on it’s top named Mitikas (2918 m), the ancient Greeks had placed the home of the Twelve "Olympian" Gods. Since 1938, Olympus is the first region of Greece declared a National Park. The UNESCO in 1981 declared him 'Biosphere Reserve', and EU included in the major for avifauna areas .The mountainous volume of Olympus is in the middle of the mainland and its access is easy from the national road and rail network Athens – Thessaloniki. Inside the mountain tthere are some roads and several trails that give visitors the opportunity to live closely the diversity of vegetation and landscape. For experienced climbers there are also paths with steep climbs on slopes. The Forest Service has placed in several places information signs with the map of the National Forest and with practical guidance.