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MOUNT OLYMPUS - OPTIONAL TRIP LEPTOKARIA

Mount Olympus (sometimes on maps as Ólimbos Oros) is the highest mountain in Greece - 2919 m. The highest peak of Olympus is Mytikas (Godfather) (2919 m).

Since its feet are placed at sea level, Mount Olympus is one of the highest mountains of Europe in topometric terms (relative difference between top and skirt). The mountain is located (40 ° 05'N 22 ° 21'E / 40.083, 22.35) in mainland Greece, about 100 km from Thessaloniki, second largest city of Greece.

Mount Olympus is famos for the wide variety of plants, with several endemic species. Flora, fauna, geological formations and features special led UNESCO to declare the region biological reserve.

Any ascent on Mount Olympus starts at Litochoro city, called "City of Gods."

The name "Olympus" is quite popular. Besides the mountain of Greece, there are mountains with the same name in Cyprus, in Utah, Washington and near San Francisco (USA).

Etymological origin of the name means full of light, is analogous to the sky, inhabited by gods, demigods, children of gods and their servants. In Greek mythology, Olympus is the abode of ancient Greek pantheon of gods. Olympus was considered the abode of the gods, but it is hard to say what it was in those days really "Olympus".

In Homer's Iliad Olympus states that are far above all the mountains, but we are heavily involved. In a passage in the Iliad, the gods Zeus speaks of "the highest peak of Olympus with many peaks, which would suggest that Olympus was really a mountain. The work of Homer, Poseidon observes that he is master of the seas, Hades and Zeus the heavens death, but Olympus is common to three. Regardless of its nature, guarded the entrance to Olympus was a great bearing clouds. The gods lived in this place, (which sometimes descend into the world of mortals on Earth), ambrosia and ate divine music of Apollo's lyre.

Olympus is a compact, relatively small in size (600 square kilometers) but polykorfo and rocky mountains with almost circular shape. From the newest of our mountains since the age of particular rocks estimated to exceed 200 million years, when most of Greece and the Mediterranean, was at the bottom of a shallow sea, where the main deposited material from which later formed the current rock. The various geological events that followed led to the emergence of the whole region and the seabed. 1 million years ago glaciers covered Olympus created the flat areas and hollows of the mountain. With the rise of temperature followed the ice melted, and the torrents that swept away large quantities up crushed rock in lower areas, forming the alluvial fans that spread throughout the region at the foot of the mountain to the sea.

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