Litochoro
Encyclopedia
Litochoro is a town and a former municipality in the southern part of the Pieria regional unit, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dio-Olympos
, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is located at the base of Mount Olympus
, on the western shore of the Thermaic Gulf
. The first recorded mention of Litochoro is in an account of a visit by Saint Dionysus (Greek: Άγιος Διονύσιος) to Mount Olympus. The town is a popular destination for those wishing to climb Mount Olympus as almost all climbing routes begin to the southwest of the town.
, 90 km SSW of Thessaloniki
, 58 km N of Larissa
and 420 km WNW of Athens
, on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus, of mythological fame as the home of the twelve gods of Olympus.
Pine, cedar and fir trees of the forests of Mount Olympus lie to the southwest and northwest. Much of the land around Litochoro, in particular to the South, remains uncultivated. Farmland is predominant to the North. Litochoro has several restaurants and cafeterias.
s, bank
s, a post office
, a harbour, a sports centre, a town hall, a hospital
, a museum
, a concert hall, shopping facilities and squares (plateies
). There are two main churches, Agios Nikolaos in the centre and Agios Dimitrios in the North. Litochoro has one of the most traditional cemeteries of Greece, known as Agios Athanasios, in the north of the town.
and extending from Leptokarya
in the south to Gritsa in the north. The E75 highway national road passes through the area of Plaka to the south of Litochoro. The coast mainly consists of sandy beaches with seaside resorts as well as hotels, campsites, restaurants, and beach bars (which mostly operate during the summer season from June to September). In the area of Plaka there are private residences, luxurious villas, and cottages.
Since the 1960s Litochoro has been served by an interchange with GR-1
/E75
to its east. In the mid-1990s, the Greek "National Road" from Athens to Thessaloniki was improved in part to "Motorway" standard. Litochoro is on the Northern stretch of this 6 lane dual carriageway, 90 km from Thessaloniki. Its nearest beach is 5 km to the east.
There is a regular bus service to Katerini
and a local train service (3 trains daily in each direction) to Thessaloniki
and Larissa
where there is an interchange with the main line to Athens
. Because Litochoro railway station is about 6 km away from Litochoro and 1 km from nearest bus stop, bus to Katerini
is often used to access the train. Taxis are to be found in abundance.
Litochoro is one of the few municipalities that has the majority of its population living within the town's boundaries. 197 or 2.95% live outside the town.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dio-Olympos
Dio-Olympos
Dio-Olympos is a municipality in the Pieria regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Litochoro.-Municipality:...
, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is located at the base of Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
, on the western shore of the Thermaic Gulf
Thermaic Gulf
The Thermaic Gulf is a gulf of the Aegean Sea located immediately south of Thessaloniki, east of Pieria and Imathia, and west of Chalkidiki . It was named after the ancient town of Therma, which was situated on the northeast coast of the gulf...
. The first recorded mention of Litochoro is in an account of a visit by Saint Dionysus (Greek: Άγιος Διονύσιος) to Mount Olympus. The town is a popular destination for those wishing to climb Mount Olympus as almost all climbing routes begin to the southwest of the town.
Geography and information
Litochoro is located 22 km S of KateriniKaterini
Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
, 90 km SSW of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, 58 km N of Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
and 420 km WNW of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus, of mythological fame as the home of the twelve gods of Olympus.
Pine, cedar and fir trees of the forests of Mount Olympus lie to the southwest and northwest. Much of the land around Litochoro, in particular to the South, remains uncultivated. Farmland is predominant to the North. Litochoro has several restaurants and cafeterias.
Facilities
Litochoro has schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, a harbour, a sports centre, a town hall, a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, a concert hall, shopping facilities and squares (plateies
Plateia
Plateia or platia is the Greek word for town square. Most Greek and Cypriot cities have several town squares which are a point of reference in travelling and guiding...
). There are two main churches, Agios Nikolaos in the centre and Agios Dimitrios in the North. Litochoro has one of the most traditional cemeteries of Greece, known as Agios Athanasios, in the north of the town.
Pláka
An extended coastal area known as Pláka or Pláka Litochorou (Πλάκα Λιτοχώρου) is located east of the town of Litochoro, spreading from the foot of Olympus to the Thermaic GulfThermaic Gulf
The Thermaic Gulf is a gulf of the Aegean Sea located immediately south of Thessaloniki, east of Pieria and Imathia, and west of Chalkidiki . It was named after the ancient town of Therma, which was situated on the northeast coast of the gulf...
and extending from Leptokarya
Leptokarya
Leptokarya is a town in Pieria prefecture, Central Macedonia, Greece, former capital of East Olympos municipality, which is part of the municipality of Dio-Olympos. The distance from Katerini is 26 km and it has 4.225 inhabitants, according 2001 cencus. Lies on the coast of Aegean Sea, under the...
in the south to Gritsa in the north. The E75 highway national road passes through the area of Plaka to the south of Litochoro. The coast mainly consists of sandy beaches with seaside resorts as well as hotels, campsites, restaurants, and beach bars (which mostly operate during the summer season from June to September). In the area of Plaka there are private residences, luxurious villas, and cottages.
Gritsa
North-east of Litochoro (North from Pláka) the costal area continues, known by the name Gritsa or Gritsa Litochorou (Γρίτσα Λιτοχώρου) extending from Pláka in the south to the community of Variko in the north. Sandy beaches can be also found here but the tourist facilities are much less than Pláka's. Yet here are some cottages and a luxury hotel (Dion resort). Gritsa is also the port of Litochoro, even though its capacity is restricted.Access and transport
Greek National Road 1
The Greek Motorway 1 is a motorway, partly under construction, and the 2nd longest in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city,...
/E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
to its east. In the mid-1990s, the Greek "National Road" from Athens to Thessaloniki was improved in part to "Motorway" standard. Litochoro is on the Northern stretch of this 6 lane dual carriageway, 90 km from Thessaloniki. Its nearest beach is 5 km to the east.
There is a regular bus service to Katerini
Katerini
Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
and a local train service (3 trains daily in each direction) to Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
and Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
where there is an interchange with the main line to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Because Litochoro railway station is about 6 km away from Litochoro and 1 km from nearest bus stop, bus to Katerini
Katerini
Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
is often used to access the train. Taxis are to be found in abundance.
- Litochoro acquired some fame during the 1999 NATO war in YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
when allied naval forces arrived on the beach of Gritsa; an action which provoked a reaction by the town's CommunistsCommunismCommunism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and many people took part in it. The event was broadcast live on CNN InternationalCNN InternationalCNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...
.
Historical population
| Year | Town population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 6,157 | - |
| 1991 | 6,667 | 6,864 |
| 2001 | 6,697 | 7,011 |
Litochoro is one of the few municipalities that has the majority of its population living within the town's boundaries. 197 or 2.95% live outside the town.