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Litochoro Greece 2012 - The City of Gods - Mount Olympus

Litochoro, (older form: Litochoron) is a town and municipality located in the southern part of the prefecture of Pieria at the base of Mount Olympus. The town is about 90 km from Thessaloniki, on the western shore of the Thermaic Gulf. The first recorded mention of Litochoro is in an account of a visit by Saint Dionysus to Mount Olympus.[citation needed] 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. Litochoro is located 22 km S of Katerini, 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.

East of the town of Litochoro is an extended coastal area known as Pláka or Pláka Litochorou, spreading from the foot of Olympus to the Thermaic Gulf 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.

North-east of Litochoro (North from Pláka) the costal area continues, known by the name Gritsa or Gritsa Litochorou extending from Pláka in the south to Variko in the north. Sandy beaches can also be found here (as in Pláka) 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 though its capacity is restricted.

Litochoro has schools, banks, 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 Nickolaos in the centre and Agios Dimitrios in the North. Litochoro has one of the most traditional cemeteries of Greece, known as Hagios Athanasios, in the north of the town.

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. Taxis are to be found in abundance.

Litochoro acquired some fame during the 1999 NATO war in Yugoslavia when allied naval forces arrived on the beach of Gritsa; an action which provoked a reaction by the town's Communists and many people took part in it. The event was broadcast live of CNN International.

Litochoro - Great food - Great fun - Exciting night life - Best prices - Perfect Greece vacation