This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A wildfire broke out near a residential area in Litochoro The fire service has dispatched 18 firefighters with seven vehicles A 112 alert message was sent to residents of Plaka urging them to evacuate towards Katerini and Leptokarya the power line near Litochoro station has been cut and delays are expected Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox This work, U.S and Greece perform joint multinational training exercise near Mount Olympus, by 2LT Cody Kellum, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Well,"},"children":[]},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" almost"},"children":[]}]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" the summit: Mytikas and that an ascent of Mytikas requires ropes this feels good enough for me."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Either way a sheer limestone precipice falls away to a dizzying void; to the north broken cloud veils a wild mountainscape; to the east in"},"children":[]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" fact "},"children":[]}]}]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"“So is it a big mountain or a small one?” my guide had asked the day before as we examined a relief map in the Mount Olympus National Park visitor centre is apparently only a “small” mountain: merely 600 sq km in area and 160km around "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Besides surely few mountains loom larger than this one It was thus the spiritual heart of one of history’s greatest civilisations and the inspiration for some serious poets emperors and philosophers."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"73d1ccec-c846-43b2-b1f5-8611142022e7","display":"fullwidth","caption":"Mike Unwin near the top of Skolio Olympus","title":"a man standing on top of a rocky mountain","credits":null,"url":"https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F5301b684-82dd-4983-9978-0b5bc80894fb.jpg?crop=1412%2C822%2C0%2C310","ratio":"1412:822","relativeHorizontalOffset":0,"relativeVerticalOffset":0.25833333333333336,"relativeWidth":0.8825,"relativeHeight":0.685},"children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Today the legacy endures — as we’re seeing in Paris this summer the original Olympic Games were held from about 775BC in Olympia But their purpose was to glorify Zeus and his deities Olympus gained further distinction as Greece’s first national park protected now as much for its biodiversity as its cultural heritage ‒ mythology and ecology with equal billing."}}]},{"name":"ad","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"To explore all this I am on a week’s self-drive tour of northeastern Greece on a "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"very "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"clear day you can apparently see the summit."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Day one brings a walking tour with the expert guide Anna Trivella included in my package “What do you know about the Byzantines?” she asks before we leave the cool hotel lobby My blank expression prompts a crash course in the city’s history from its ancient Greek foundations in 316BC the Byzantines and the Ottomans to the great fire of 1917 and the horrors of the Second World War the antiquities come thick and fast: the Holy Church of Saint Dimitrios with its Byzantine mosaics; the Roman forum with its thermal baths Anna turns out to be as expert in olives as she is in ancient architecture “the finest in Greece”."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"05de7f21-5dbe-4341-a842-2354a24f9254","display":"fullwidth","caption":"The hill of Ana Poli part of the Byzantine fortifications that overlook the old city from the hill of Ana Poli (£5; inthessaloniki.com) From its crenelated ramparts I peer across the hazy bay and imagine I can just make out Olympus where I find the Museum of Photography has an excellent exhibition of modern Greek female photographers (£5; momus.gr) Dinner comes later in the lively Ladadika restaurant quarter where I indulge in a little people-watching over my octopus and baba ganoush There’s a happening vibe about Thessaloniki This is clearly a young city as well as a very old one."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Olympus looms steadily closer as I drive south a modest village that stands on the site of Aigai and I stroll the imposing colonnades of the Aigai Palace where his son Alexander was crowned Best of all is the Unesco Museum of the Royal Tombs where the archaeologist Manolis Andronikos excavated a grassy tumulus to discover a cluster of ancient tombs I find dazzling frescoes and a jaw-dropping treasury of golden artefacts including an ornate larnax chest containing the bones of the dead its winding streets threaded onto the eastern foothills Nektarios drops in at my hotel to discuss our programme He’s an experienced local guide whose services come as part of my tour We talk through possible routes and activities There are options for all levels of experience and fitness Serious climbers take two or three days to get up and down starting from the very bottom and overnighting in refuges; others may drive closer to the summit and do a shorter hike at the top A guide isn’t strictly necessary but can greatly enrich the experience we elect to spend day one exploring some of the key sites lower down and day two tackling the summit where a display arranged by altitudinal zone explains the mountain’s ecology A gallery of archive photographs reveals that the first official ascent was not until 1913: two Swiss explorers with a “guide” explaining that for centuries the mountain’s ancient trails were hideaways for outlaws."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"• "}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Greece travel guide: when to go and why you’ll love it"}}]}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/greece/greece-p3q3hs5tj"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Soon we hit the trail ourselves hiking down the Enipeas Gorge through dappled forests of oak and beech and across wooden bridges over limestone pools Wildlife comes in glimpses: a flash of scarlet as a black woodpecker takes flight a gleam of coils as an aesculapian snake slips away Nektarios points out the furry leaves of the endemic "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Ramonda heldreichii"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" and explains the mythology of yew trees."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"History and mythology lurk everywhere we find the spring that reputedly dried up when the Romans banished the holy man then resumed its flow once they invited him back we see where the river supposedly vanished underground after refusing to purify the muses who murdered Orpheus we learn how Zeus — a notoriously frisky deity — turned himself into a swan to “connect” with Lito “You’re permitted to swim here,” Nektarios says But we have one last stop: a stroll around the impressive Roman ruins at Dion Pilgrims once arrived here with their votive offerings purifying themselves at the baths before beginning their ascent to the gods Nightingales warble from the thickets in the soft evening light."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"So and all that remains is to climb the thing Our driver collects us in the pre-dawn darkness and two hours later The climb is steep but short and perfectly manageable for a keen walker of average fitness gazing across at the Throne of Zeus and feeling at least quite pleased with myself."}}]},{"name":"interactive","attributes":{"id":"2f0465a8-5ea8-40c6-9886-ae438a9391e7","display":"primary","url":"https://components.timesdev.tools/lib2/responsive-graphics-1.0.0/responsive-graphics.html","element":{"value":"responsive-graphics","attributes":{"date-to":"2024-07-25","deck-id":"68344","date-from":"2024-07-25"}}},"children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"But we’re not done yet Nektarios’s route traverses the whole massif (after all descending to our pick-up point on the eastern side ridges and boulder fields to what’s called the Plateau of the Muses pine forests and finally the dark beech woods of what Nektarios assures me is “the final stretch” "}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Down imagining hungry wolves and malevolent muses Does a vehicle really await or are we descending into Hades call myself an Olympian?"}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Mike Unwin was a guest of Sunvil along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners but exploring on foot comes"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":125})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Searing summers and sandy shores make Greece a favourite for beach holidays but exploring on foot comes into its own when"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":145})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Searing summers and sandy shores make Greece a favourite for beach holidays but exploring on foot comes into its own when temperatures 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"},"children":[]},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Eclogues"},"children":[]}]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" he describes a wild idyll of “springs cool as can be and"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Two thousand years ago the poet Virgil imagined a lost Eden of ancient Greece and uncover Byzantine treasures and stunning waterfalls — without breaking a sweatThe town of Litochoro sits at the base of Enipeas Gorge and Mount OlympusALAMYMike UnwinSaturday July 27 2024 protected now as much for its biodiversity as its cultural heritage ‒ mythology and ecology with equal billing Day one brings a walking tour with the expert guide Anna Trivella included in my package ThessalonikiALAMYThat afternoon I take a taxi to the Trigoniou Tower This is clearly a young city as well as a very old one Olympus looms steadily closer as I drive south • 14 of the best walking holidays in Greece My base for Olympus is the picturesque town of Litochoro The trail up OlympusALAMYFirst stop the next morning is the excellent park visitor centre explaining that for centuries the mountain’s ancient trails were hideaways for outlaws • Greece travel guide: when to go, what to do, and why you’ll love it Nektarios points out the furry leaves of the endemic Ramonda heldreichii “so long as you don’t wear sunscreen and you watch out for Zeus.” Dion is home to some impressive Roman ruinsALAMYDusk is approaching as Nektarios drives me back towards Litochoro Nightingales warble from the thickets in the soft evening light Become a subscriber and Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and X The family of a Mississauga man who went missing in Greece over a month ago says they’re desperate for answers into his “uncharacteristic” disappearance and are worried for his safety His family said in a prepared statement that Filip Ziaja was travelling in Greece while working remotely and has not been heard from since July 12 Ziaja was staying at an Airbnb in Thessaloniki and planning to visit Litochoro His family said Ziaja shared his plans with his employer and family during the last form of communication more than a month ago Canadian and Greek authorities were notified of his disappearance on July 26 CityNews has reached out to Peel Regional Police for comment “Through the responses received on Facebook his family received various accounts of people spotting someone who allegedly looked like Filip,” the family’s statement read “According to the accounts of people who were visiting the area on and around July 12 someone who looked like Filip was seen near Platamon Palaios Panteleimonas and that general area near Mount Olympus where Filip stated he was going to be on the weekend of July 13.” Another person on social media claimed that the person claiming to be Ziaja was described as looking “rough” and “similar to how a homeless person may look.” “It is alleged that the person presumed to be Filip approached the picnicking group asking them for food and water,” the statement continues Another person claimed they saw Filip again in the general area ‘a few days later.'” Ziaja’s family says the 38-year-old is an avid traveller who speaks Polish and English He has been employed by a tech company since 2020 as a software engineer animal lover and animal rights advocate,” the statement reads “His family misses him very much and wants to bring him home.” Those close to him say it’s uncharacteristic of Ziaja to not communicate with family describing him as a “responsible person.” “His family fears that he may have been robbed of his belongings or otherwise lost them which is causing him to be unable to contact anyone,” the family wrote “They worry that if he suffered trauma he may be affected in a way that has caused him not to be able to seek proper help or make contact in the last month.” The 38-year-old Mississauga man is described as having brown eyes and is listed as six-foot-two He was last seen with short brown hair and weighed approximately 180 pounds at the time of his disappearance Anyone with information is asked to reach out via email at bringfiliphome@gmail.com Warmer temperatures but showers are expected on-and-off for the next few days Meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai has your seven-day forecast Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls on Prime Minister Mark Carney to prioritize a list of projects including the proposed Highway 401 tunnel a mentally ill man who was killed in an Ontario prison is calling out the provincial government over the lack of correctional reform Monday is calling for rain and thunderstorms Stella Acquisto has the long-range forecast listen to NewsRadio Toronto live anytime and get up-to-the-minute breaking-news alerts weather and video from CityNews Toronto anywhere you are – across all Android and iOS devices a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian was held in Litochoro the historic and beautiful town at the foot of Mount Olympus Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico and Central America presided over the service accompanied by Assistant Bishop Timotheos of Assos as well as Metropolitan Georgios of Kitros Filaretos Castro Herrera and Colombian Vice-Deacon Samuel Giraldo Alzate fellow students of the AUTh School of Theology who came to meet and receive the blessing of Metropolitan Athenagoras Katerini and Platamonas participated in the service Prior to the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy Metropolitan Georgios of Kitros introduced the visiting hierarchs He also briefed the congregation on the missionary charitable and cultural work being carried out in Central America by Metropolitan Athenagoras The Metropolitan thanked the hierarchs and his assistants and asked them to pray for the holy clergy and the faithful of Pieria Metropolitan Athenagoras of Mexico mentioned the constant and continuous participation of the Holy Metropolis of Kitros Katerini and Platamonas in the consolidation and development of Orthodoxy in Central America He made special reference to the contribution of the former Metropolitan Agathonikos Saul Alfonso Perez Galvis and Louis Antonio Torres Esquivel Athenagoras of Myrina and Timotheos of Assos Bishop Timotheos of Assos distributed the antidoron accepting at the same time the wishes and feelings of enthusiasm and love of the faithful the Metropolitan of Mexico visited the former Metropolitan of Kitros he was shown around the offices and the Ecclesiastical Museum Metropolitan Georgios thanked the hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the visit the Patriarchate of Jerusalem solemnly celebrated the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women... Archbishop Elpidophoros of America celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Monastery of the Theotokos.. it was announced that two Roman Catholic institutions in Bavaria have decided to jointly.. A car once used by Pope Francis during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem is being transformed into a mobile.. the Monastery of Saint Vlash in Albania hosted a festal Divine Liturgy on the.. Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece presided over the festal Great Vespers at the historic.. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [] cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt callback: cb } ); } } }})(); © 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Greece (AP) — Army aviation forces from Greece and the United States took part in a live-fire training exercise Wednesday at the foot of Mount Olympus marking deepening defense ties between the two countries Greece is ramping up its military cooperation with the US and France — and purchases of equipment from the two allies — amid wariness of worsening relations with Turkey over disputed sea and air space boundaries including drilling rights in the East Mediterranean The chief of the Greek army and the US ambassador to Greece watched the training drill conducted with attack helicopters in northern Greece Washington and Athens finalized a defense agreement three weeks ago that gives American forces expanded access to Greek military bases "But we'll have to wait and see exactly what Turkey is planning at this stage," he said Follow Gatopoulos at https://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos Latest UpdatesCountries Why Join?IL MagazineFree Daily E-LetterVideoOur ExpertsTestimonialsFAQsTopics Lynn Roulo left her life as a finance professional San Francisco used it as his stronghold when fighting the Titans the mountain weaves its way through hundreds of Greek stories modern-day Mount Olympus has a lot to offer It became Greece’s first national park in 1938 and the 92-square mile surrounding area referred to as the Olympus Biosphere Reserve features over 1,500 plant species While there are many easy walking trails and quaint mountain villages to visit thousands of visitors come to Mount Olympus every year to hike to the summit of Mytikas If hiking to the top of Mount Olympus is on your bucket list you don’t need to be in tremendous physical shape or have a lot of hiking experience to ascend Mount Olympus Most people make the trip an overnight excursion most of the climb is a gentle hike with the exception of the final leg No special gear is required for the full trek but you will want good hiking shoes and you can expect the mountain to be snow-capped from September to May About 10,000 people per year hike to the summit June through to September is ideal from a weather perspective while May and October offer good weather and fewer visitors The winter months can be dangerous with avalanches and intense weather conditions so it's best for everyone other than extremely experienced hikers to avoid the months of December to April How to Get There: The starting point for the trek to the summit is typically Litochoro a rural village with a population under 8,000 on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus you have the option to hike or drive to the starting point of the two main trails: the Prionia and Gortsia The two most popular trails that offer you access to these mountain refuges are the Prionia Trail and the Goritsa Trail Both of these trails start at an elevation of approximately 3,610 feet The Prionia Trail: Starting from Litochoro along a gentle path featuring the Agios Dionysios Monastery and colorful meadows before reaching the Prionia Trailhead you start a heavily forested hike to arrive at the Spilios Agapitos Refuge (6,759 feet in elevation) Most visitors stay at the Agapitos Refuge overnight and then head out in the morning for the final part of the hike to Mytikas This leg is the most challenging because it is steep and a portion of the trail covered in loose gravel but at the top you are rewarded with amazing views extending to Bulgaria and Albania The Gortsia Trail: If you are looking for a less crowded but longer hike About two-thirds of this trail is dense forest The first part of this hike offers two trail options From Skourta you continue to an area called the Muses Plateau with the option to overnight at the Kakkalos Refuge or Apostolidis Refuge nearby you hike up the Stefani peak before the final climb to Mytikas If you are looking for something less strenuous day hikes throughout the lower hills of Mount Olympus offer gorgeous scenery and a tranquil environment There are lots of options to tailor a hike to your preferences and abilities you’ll have easy access to fresh fish along with local dishes featuring mountain herbs and vegetables You might even find venison on the menu of a woodland taverna A trip to Mount Olympus is a magical experience and a great reminder that Greece offers much more than stunning islands with beautiful beaches It has lush woodlands and impressive mountains too but a visit to Mount Olympus goes beyond a trip in nature It connects you to something deeply sacred and ancient as well: the home of the Greek gods Top 5 Reasons to Move to Greece The Good Life in Greece for Less Than $1,000 a Month The Three Best Things About Living in Greece (and the Two Worst) Eden Ben Rubi and Stav Nurieli were 13 years old when they first arrived at the Jewish camp in the small town of Litochoro What has happened is not normal,” Stav tells Kathimerini remembers Eden as a particularly gifted and sociable child I can’t believe that her last hours were in fear,” she says Erica has an additional reason to be shocked had arranged with her partner to attend the same festival 80 kilometers from where the Supernova festival took place they called Anat to work and so they canceled their trip The reality is that one of my own children could have been in Eden’s place.” Stav has trouble referring to her best friend in the past tense From the moment she learned that Eden was missing four harrowing days passed until her death was confirmed Reports say she was stabbed in the back by Hamas while running for her life She was funny and full of love for the world The best memories I have with her were from the camp we went to together for 10 years that’s what Eden would say today if she was here,” Stav says Erica conveys the atmosphere from Eden’s funeral saying that there was complete silence from the attendants her parents talked about her… They said she was the light in their house she wants to send her daughters to Greece but is having trouble finding a flight The staging spot for the two-day ascent of Olympus is the quaint village of Litochoro The trail leads through gorgeous scenery for 6 kilometers up to a well-appointed hut (left) bowls of hearty soup and steaming mugs of cocoa and where people usually spend the night before summiting Olympus Northern Greece has two major airports: Athens and Thessaloniki. Athens International Airport offers the most options including seasonal daily nonstop flights from New York as well as flights to most European cities few hotels provide transport from the airport to downtown The most convenient options to get into the city are the Metro transportation options are much more limited Delphi can be visited in one day from Athens via a tour and Thessaloniki are accessible by train from Athens but you cannot book tickets until you’re already in the country By far the most convenient option for exploring the sights in northern Greece although one-way drop-off charges can be very expensive you can traverse the country in just a few hours using the motorways Rental cars are widely available at both airports and in multiple city locations Road signs are posted in both Greek and English Accommodations across northern Greece span a wide range of quality and price. Private apartments often offer a better value than hotels; Booking.com lists hundreds of reviewer-rated properties across the region Plaka is a fun and convenient area to stay The section of the E4 trail that ascends Mount Olympus begins in Prionia, located near Litochoro, just west of the E75 motorway (and the railroad line) that links Athens and Thessaloniki. Of the seven refuges (huts) on Mount Olympus, the Spilios Agapitos is the largest and most convenient for tackling Mount Olympus’ lofty summit. Advance reservations are necessary especially during the bustling summer season snacks and beverages for surprisingly affordable prices SAS Technology, one of Greece’s leading defense companies, announced on February 12 that its Sarisa II armed drone has completed live-fire tests and is ready for operational use the tests were conducted over three days at the Litochoro Firing Range under the supervision of the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence with technical support from Thales Belgium and Hellenic Defense Systems (HDS) VIDEOSAS Technology Successfully Completes SARISA II UCAV Air-to-Ground Live-Fire Trials with Guided and Unguided 70mm Rockets at Litochoro Firing Range. pic.twitter.com/BdSWHNAe0S Sarisa II successfully fired a 70mm Unguided Rocket (UGR) from a fixed hover position the drone managed to maintain flight stability The rocket also followed the correct trajectory confirming the functionality of optical aiming methods SARISA II launched Thales’ FZ275 laser-guided rocket at a 5×5-meter target with a central 2×2-meter section The FZ275 LGR achieved a deviation of only 0.2m from the point of impact demonstrating a circular error probability (CEP) of less than one meter Due to geographical constraints of the firing range and Weapon Danger Area (WDA) limitations close to the weapon’s lower operational range the FZ275 LGR’s ideal operational range is between 3 to 5 kilometers a demonstration was organized with the participation of military officials from all branches of the Hellenic armed forces (Army Sarisa II again fired the LASER-guided FZ275 LGR rocket weighing 12 kg The program also included dropping AIHMI stray ammunition from the drone but it could not be carried out due to weather conditions the Hellenic Special Forces demonstrated the UCAV Empusa EMPX6T the first Greek-designed armed unmanned system in operational service since 2020 SAS Technology announced after the test program that the SARISA II system achieved great success during the three-day test process It was emphasized that the system offers a more efficient and economical alternative to the traditional and costly deployment methods of attack helicopters and fighter jets in close air support missions and the Litochoro Firing Range for their contributions to the program’s success Tags: , , , Copyright © 2025 Overt Defense. All Rights Reserved. The US-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) ratified by the Greek parliament on Thursday night will allow the US military to gain access to three more bases in Greece in addition to the current one it operates. Through the agreement that was inked in October 2021 in Washington DC, the two countries aim to deepen and expand their defense cooperation. It will permit the US military to use Georgula Barracks in Greece's central province of Volos, Litochoro Training Ground, and army barracks in the northeastern port city of Alexandroupoli apart from the naval base in Souda Bay in Crete which the US has operated since 1969. The Greek-US MDCA, first signed in 1990, has been renewed in successive periods, with the last extension in 2019. It was previously subjected to annual renewal, but the amendments allowed an extension of another five years. During the heated debate at the parliament’s plenary session on the agreement, the leader of the main opposition party SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras accused the government of giving away everything to the US without receiving anything substantial. He also noted that the government has abandoned the decades-old principles of the Greek foreign policy that minded the regional and global balances and rendered Greece “a front country of NATO.” Also speaking at the session, the head of the Communist Party of Greece Dimitris Koutsoumpas said the agreement would not protect Greece in case of an armed conflict with Turkiye. The US is only interested in ensuring cohesion in the southeastern wing of NATO, he stressed, adding that the agreement is turning the country into a huge military base for NATO and the US. The parliament eventually ratified the agreement with 181 votes in favor and 119 against. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The cloud-covered lair of the Ancient Greek pantheon awe-inspiring Mt Olympus is simply spectacular just as it did for the ancients who venerated it Olympus hosts more than 1700 plant species Its slopes are thickly forested and its peaks often shrouded in fog The first known mortals to reach Mytikas (2918m) were Litohoro local Christos Kakalos and Swiss climbers Frédéric Boissonnas and Daniel Baud-Bovy in August 1913 Olympus became Greece’s first national park in 1938 Although you can drive up Olympus, many people hike; consult the Litohoro-based hiking associations for maps and current conditions, or check with the Olympus National Park Information Center which also lists the hiking routes and the regulations for visitors Both provide info on the mountain's 15 refuges Vergina Royal Tombs Museum A grass-covered tumulus (burial mound) has been converted into a truly spine-tingling museum where visitors can descend to unspoiled royal Macedonian… Castle of Platamonas Looming from an imposing coastal bluff near Platamonas village this well-preserved stronghold assumed much of its present… Ancient Dion Dion was sacred to ancient Macedonians worshipping the Olympian gods Archaeological Museum of Dion This three-floor museum in Dion village is packed with votive statues from the sanctuaries at Ancient Dion plus grave monuments and a large collection of… 1. Archaeological Museum of Dion 2. Ancient Dion 3. Castle of Platamonas 4. Vergina Royal Tombs Museum No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission It’s been over two months since a Mississauga man went missing in Greece Mississauga resident, Filip Ziaja was last heard from on July 12 after telling people he was planning to hike Mount Olympus the weekend of July 13 and 14, his sister-in-law Erika Campos told INsauga.com in August. “We’re holding onto hope that he’s still alive even after this long,” Campos wrote last week in the Facebook group dedicated to finding Ziaja “We’re working closely with the police and volunteer groups and they’re doing everything they can to help us find him.” Greek authorities provided more information on Ziaja’s last known movements He boarded a bus to Litochoro on the morning of July 13 His family believed Ziaja was planning a hike on Mount Olympus Cell tower data confirms he was in the Litochoro area His phone’s last activity (per the cellular company) was on July 14 around 1 p.m. though the phone continued receiving messages until July 19 “Extensive searches of Mount Olympus and surrounding areas with volunteers and search dogs have yielded no results,” Campos wrote “Local areas and hotels were also searched but no findings have been reported.” A “Silver Alert” for missing persons in Greece went live broadcasting Ziaja’s photo and information on national news and websites The family also reached out to local Greek newspapers and they’ve posted his picture along with his timeline and details The Facebook page dedicated to finding Ziaja is here. Subscribe to INsauga – Ontario Headline News’ daily email newsletter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Toronto Eaton Centre OR Sherway Gardens Delays are expected in all suburban train services between Thessaloniki and Larissa due to yesterday’s fire in Litochoro and the loss of electricity The same post notes that there is a single line between Litochoro and Platy Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr