My favorite Hike
When I was (a great deal) younger I loved hiking. I have been to several mountains in Greece and Europe (including Mont Blanc and the Perinees). However the joy and amazement I felt every time I visited mount Olympus has no equal. This majestic mountain is truly the "Mountain of the Gods".
There are two paths one can follow to reach the summit. I prefer the longest and the less conventional. With my wife, my lovely life companion Adamantia, we always spent the first night in the Cave of Ithakisios. Ithakisios was a painter who lived for years in this cave and is known as the painter of Olympus. On the left you can enjoy one of his few paintings that is not about the mountain of the Gods (Navarino).

Close to the Cave of Ithakisios, there is the only place you can find water when you follow this path. Unfortunately in Olympus all the water comes out at the roots of the mountain forming a rich creek called Enipeas. There are no natural springs, except the one close to the cave of Ithakisios where the water is collected, drop by drop!

After a hike of several hours, you arrive at the plane of the Muses (Kampos ton Mouson) with the Throne of Zeus appearing at the other end of the plane (see photo below, it does indeed look like the back of a throne).

The summit of the throne is known as Stefani and it is the second largest summit of Olympus being only a few meters lower than the highest which is behind Stefani and is called Mytikas. Stefani is definitely more beautiful and more difficult to reach. Although I have been several times to Mytikas, I have visited Stefani only once.

The scale is huge and you are amongst giants facing other summits in the horizon...it is breathtaking. The same way I cannot imagine a Greek never been to Acropolis and Parthenon, I cannot think of Greeks missing this natural wonder...although I am sure there are plenty in both cases.

On the Kampos ton Mouson there is a very hospitable refuge run by hikers from Salonika. They feed you with rich bean soup or spaghetti with ground meat, something you really need after so many hours of hiking.

From the refuge you can take the path that leads to the two highest summits, Stefani and Mytikas.

Near the refuge there is a smaller summit called Profitis Helias, where you can find a small church made with stones. Every summer, on the 14th of August, people from all over the area, come up and spend the night on the Kampos ton Mouson and on the 15th they have a mess in the little church honoring Virgin Marry.

The descent is equally interesting. You can enjoy Olympus' rich flora with countless flowers of varius (mostly small) sizes and colors that appear in your way.

As you reach the roots of Olympus, and if you are REALLY lucky, you might encounter a beautiful Nymph cooling her feet in the glassy waters of Enipeas while colorful butterflies wander around enjoying their short-lived presence in one of Nature's most beautiful places.

Leaving Olympus, you are either enchanted by the mountain's spirit and part of you is lost in the summits, or you are so exhausted by the effort that you don't want to see another mountain in your life again...I was blessed to belong to the first category and the longing for this mountain is incessant.