Dion
The Sacred City Of The Macedonians Below Mount Olympus: Sanctuaries Of Zeus, Demeter And Isis In Springs And Wetland, Roman Baths And Mosaics, And The Dion Museum · Dion, Central Macedonia
Dion was the sacred city of the ancient Macedonians, built at the foot of Mount Olympus where springs rise from the mountain and run towards the sea. Here the kings honoured Zeus Olympios and the Muses, held their own games, and prepared for war: Alexander the Great is said to have sacrificed here before setting out against Persia in 334 BC. What you see today is an archaeological park unlike any other in Greece: the sanctuaries of Demeter, Zeus and Isis lie among reeds, plane trees and running water, and the Sanctuary of Isis stands in shallow pools with frogs, dragonflies and birds all around. Add the Roman baths, a theatre, city walls and streets, and in the village the Dion museum with statues, mosaics and a rare ancient water organ. It suits history lovers, walkers heading to Olympus and anyone who likes ruins in nature. Honest caveats: it is flat and scattered rather than grand, parts flood and close, works continue in the Roman area, and summer brings heat and mosquitoes.
Archaeological Park of Dion at the foot of Mount Olympus, Pieria, about 15 km south of Katerini; the museum in Dion village, Dion, Central Macedonia, Greece
The archaeological park and the museum keep state site hours: long in summer (roughly 08:00 to 19:00 or 20:00) and much shorter in winter (often to about 15:00 or 17:00), closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25-26 December - confirm current hours. Parts of the park close when the river floods. Buy tickets at the gate or from the official Hellenic Heritage e-ticket system; no booking is needed. The site is about 15 km south of Katerini and 10-15 minutes by car from Litochoro.