Mount Olympus Joins UNESCO World Heritage List
The legendary home of the Olympian…
The epicenter of an entire religion and of the ancient Greek world, and a spectacular place of natural beauty, Mount Olympus is finally, officially, a National Park.
Mt Olympus, covering 23,562 hectares in central Greece, has at long last been designated a national park in a presidential decree published Tuesday.
The area is divided into three zones, as well a fourth one on the Elassona side to prevent unwanted construction in the future.
Zone A (3,471 ha) forms the park’s core and is a protected area where only scientific research, forestry work and the maintenance of the E4 path are allowed.
Zone B (5,570 ha) includes all three climbing refuges located on the mountain and allows low-key ecotourism activities. Maintenance and improvement works will be allowed on the shelters but not the creation of new ones. Vehicles are allowed on existing roads.
New mountain shelters and facilities for visitors to rest are allowed in Zone C (4,521 ha), along with beekeeping, free-range grazing, agriculture and hunting.
Zone D on the outskirts covers 13,842 ha.
This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com
Read more about Mount Olympus
Besides being the famous home of the ancient Greek gods (read about that here), Mount Olympus is a place of majestic beauty. If you have yet to visit its foothills or hike its excellent trails, we have an archive of articles to help guide you on your way.
Those who’d like to visit to experience the bounty of nature can learn about the mountain’s incredible biodiversity here:
Rare Orchids and Wildcats: The Incredible Biodiversity of Mt Olympus
If you want to reach the summit, but don’t know where to begin, here are two handy guides to get you started:
Where to Go to Start Exploring Mount Olympus
Where to Stay and Visit on Mount Olympus (Map Included)
You can read about what it’s like to climb Mount Olympus in the winter here:
Winter on Mount Olympus: Not for the Fainthearted
and here:
I Did That: What it’s Like to Climb Olympus in the Dead of Winter
versus what it’s all about in the summer here:
#Conquest: A Climb Up Mount Olympus
To add some perspective, read about what a climb on the mountain was like a century ago here:
How the First Mountaineers Climbed Mount Olympus in 1913
And, if you’re still not convinced you need to visit the legendary Mount Olympus, here’s an inspirational video:
Read More
