Mount Olympus & Litochoro
An hour south and you are at the foot of the mountain of the gods — a gorge, plane trees, and the sea fifteen minutes away.
The drive
Litochoro is the base. From there the road climbs to Prionia (18 km of hairpins) where the trails start. If hiking is not your thing, the Enipeas gorge gives you the same picture in an hour's walk. Down on the coast, Palaios Panteleimonas and Platamonas close the day with a castle and a beach.
What to watch out for
- The Prionia road is narrow — a small car or an SUV is easier
- Two toll stations between Thessaloniki and Litochoro
- Spring and autumn the gorge has water — in summer it dries up
Road: A1 motorway (tolls)
And next?
More drives from Thessaloniki
Halkidiki
85 km1h 20m
Three fingers of land in the Aegean, an hour from your door. Kassandra for life and beach bars, Sithonia for the bays that have no name.
Meteora
235 km2h 45m
Monasteries on 400-metre rocks. The most spectacular day trip you can make from Thessaloniki.
Vergina & the Royal Tombs
75 km1h 00m
The tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great — a UNESCO site, one hour from the city.