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Greece is a country where you can find many attractions. Wonderful climate, rich history, amazing cuisine – this and much more attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year.
However, in addition to all of the above, Greece is also famous for its unforgettable mountain landscapes and incredibly exciting mountain routes, which have dared to conquer a huge number of local and foreign climbers.
Here, every tourist can find what he likes: difficult routes surrounded by mysterious virgin forests or well-traveled trails with developed service. We present you the 10 highest mountains in Greece with names and heights.
10 Lefka Ori, 2453 km
Lefka Ori has more than fifty peaks above 2000 meters. Pahnes is the highest peak, 2454 meters. There are wonderful sea views here.
Deep ravines, many gorges with steep gentle ridges, rocky ridges with imposing rocks, uneven roads – all this is available to tourists who decide to conquer this mountain range.
It offers a delightful view over the Libyan and Cretan seas, such that the imagination of even a great artist could not capture.
Lefka Ori are mountains where each peak is independent and alien to its neighbor. They are thirty kilometers long and twenty-five kilometers wide. The locals call them madaras and nowhere in their rocks you will find a flat road like those we know in mainland Greece.
Trees wild with sharp rocks and huge patches of gravel that make it difficult for tourists to make excursions to the top. Despite the fact that Greek and foreign climbers rightly consider Lefka Ori a rather difficult mountain to conquer, many confirm that these difficulties are justified.
9. Ida, 2456 km
Ida – the highest point of the famous island of Crete. She is also called Psylloritis.
In addition to the fact that Ida is the highest mountain of Crete, it is famous for the fact that, according to an ancient legend, the supreme Greek god Zeus spent his childhood in a cave under this mountain.
8. Parnassus, 2457 km
Parnassus includes the famous sanctuary of Apollo, the oracle and the archaeological site of Delphi, as well as the popular mountain resort of Arachova, which has excellent hotels and services for the large number of skiers who head to the ski centers on the mountain.
7. Vardusia, 2495 km
Vardusia – one of the most beautiful Greek mountains. High, steep peaks, vast meadows, abundant waters and fabulous passages make up an unforgettable mountain landscape. Although the highest peak, Korakas (2497 km), is steep, at least four paths converge on the rocky prow here: the classic Pittimaliko climb, the Koprisia Gorge route, the Lift Gorge climb, and the southern mountain range.
One of the most beautiful mountain routes in the country is located on Vardussia – the Artotina-Athanasios Diakos section.
6. Timfi, 2497 km
Timpy – a mountain in Epirus in the province of Zagori, which is usually called “Gamila” or “Papygos Mountains».
The Timfi massif is almost pagan and mostly steep, especially in its northern and southwestern limits. It rises between the river Aoos and the tributary of the Voidomatis. Timfi was and still is the best tourist resort in the area.
5. Gjona, 2510 km
Gona (2510 km) – the fourth highest mountain in Greece after Olympus, Smolikas and Gramos. It stretches between Vardusia and Parnassus and is separated from the first by the bank of the Morno River, and the second by the passage “51”.
The main features of Gjona’s landscape are two large ravines, Rekka in the south and Lazorema in the west, scattered slopes, with the most famous, the slope of Sykia reaching 1000 m, finally, many open banks.
The most interesting hiking trails of the mountain are the highest peak, the pyramid, the crossing of the Rekka and the ascent of Lazoreme converge at the top.
4. Grammos, 2520 km
Array Grammos has been declared one of the most important areas in Greece by European and Greek authorities. In particular, the European organization “Nature 2000” put it on the map, and the association of “biogenetic reserves” of the Council of Europe designated it as a natural monument, which was already done in 1985 by local authorities.
Grammos has also been designated by the Greek Ornithological Society as one of the “Most Important Bird Areas of Greece” and of course, through the Arcturus organization, it has been designated as a National Bird Park.
3. Nije, 2524 km
Mountain Nizhe with the highest peak – Kaimakchalan (2521 m) is located in the south-west of Macedonia, on the border with the Republic of Greece. The mountain range separates the regional unit Pella on the Greek side in the south from the region of Mariovo in northern Macedonia.
The mountain is characterized by almost virgin nature: dense pine forests, rivers and pastures. Now more and more people decide to conquer Kaimakchalan. Here you can enjoy stunning views – a dense forest, very clean rivers, pastures over 2000 m.
At the top there is a small church and a crypt for Serbian soldiers from World War I. On the Greek side of the summit there is a ski resort with lifts reaching 2480 meters. Recently, bikers from Bitola and other cities in Macedonia have been visiting Kaimakchalan and the entire region of the Marievskaya region.
2. Zmolikas, 2637 km
The second highest mountain in Greece Zmolikas. It is located in the west of the country, in the region of Janina. From the mountain stretches a long ridge, numbering about 1700 meters in height, and its peak reaches 2637 meters.
Zmolikas belongs to the largest mountain system in Greece – Pindu. The mountain consists of several ranges stretching between the regions of Thessaly and Epirus, all the way to Albania. There are high mountain lakes on the slopes of Zmolikas. According to legend, dragons lived here. Their wars with each other created relief distortions in the mountainous landscape that eventually filled with water.
1. Olympus, 2917 km
This most famous Greek mountain in the world is located in the northeast of the Thessaly region. At an altitude of 1100 meters is the village of Priony, and next to it is the monastery of St. Dionysius.
Olympus is known throughout the world as the habitat of the highest ancient Greek deities. It is also famous for its unique biodiversity and rich flora. It was the National Park, the first in the country, since the late 30s of the last century. In addition, Olympus is a world biosphere reserve.
Every year, tens of thousands of tourists admire its fauna and flora, travel along its slopes and climb its peaks. Organized mountain shelters and various climbing routes are available to all who wish to visit this place. The usual starting point for climbing Olympus is the city of Litochoro, in the eastern foothills of the mountain, which is located 100 km from Thessaloniki.
According to legend, Zeus declared war on his father Kronos. Having removed him from the throne, he began to rule with other gods, settling on Mount Olympus. There was no wind, no rain, no bad weather, and there was always a warm summer.
In ancient Greece, the mountain was considered a saint, and Zeus himself patronized the city of Dion on its slope. The Olympic Games have been held there since 776 BC.
Olympus in Greece was not accidentally chosen as the seat of the gods. This is the highest mountain in the country. The main mountain peak Mytikas rises to 2917 meters. Other significant peaks are Skolio (2912 m) and Stefanie (2 m).