OLYMPUS: THE HOME OF THE GODS
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Mount
Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and one of the highest peaks in
Europe. Between the regions of
Macedonia and Thessaly, Mount Olympus was declared a National Park in 1938 due
to its deeply rich flora, natural beauty and of course its mythological
connection. It was considered to be the residence of the 12 Greek Gods. In
Homers’ Iliad, the home of the gods is described as an ancient acropolis below
the peaks of Olympus. The three Horae guarded the golden gates. Inside there
was the palace of Zeus, other palaces for the rest of the Gods and stables for
the immortal horses.
The
origin of the name Όλυμπος (Olympus) is unknown and usually considered to be "pre-Greek". There are mentions of Olympus in Homer, Herodotus
and many ancient writers. Its highest peak, Mytikas (meaning nose) rising to
2,918 meters, considered to be the meeting place of the Gods. Furthermore, M. Olympus
has also an important historical significance since it served as a hiding place
of the armatoloi, who were fighting against Ottoman occupation and later as a gathering
centre for the Greek resistance against German occupation (1941-1944).
Mount
Olympus has 52 peaks, gorges, forests and alpine fields. For
seven months of the year it is covered in snow (from November to May) while the temperature varies in the winter from -10 °C to 10 °C and
in the summer from 0 °C to 20 °C. Its fauna and flora are
really impressive. In antiquity (according to Pausanias) there were lions and
until 16th century bears. Now the traveler may come across various
species of birds (as the golden eagle, the lanner falcon, etc), reptiles
(snakes, lizards) and other animals as the wild boar, the wildcat and roe deer.
Its flora is even more impressive with about 1700 species and subspieces. 23 of
them are local endemic plants (they can be found only in Olympus).
The first recorded ascent took place in 1913 by the local goat hunter C.Kakkalos together with the alpinists F.Boissonas and D.Baud-Bovy. Today is one of the most popular destinations with more than 150000 visitors per year. There are various activities (hiking, trekking, canyoning, etc) satisfying every adventurer. The Greek Gods chose Mount Olympus as their home. Ascending it, is a once in a lifetime experience and who knows...maybe you can catch a glimpse of Zeus upon his throne!!
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