Olympus National Park

Olympus National Park
Olympus National Park is located in Greece
Olympus National Park
Location within Greece
LocationThessaly and Central Macedonia, Greece
Coordinates40°05′08″N 22°21′31″E / 40.08556°N 22.35861°E / 40.08556; 22.35861
Area39.88 km2 (15.40 sq mi)
Established1938
Visitors~180,000 (in 1999)[1]
Governing bodyPieria Forestry Service and the Management Agency of Olympus National Park.[2]
Official nameWider Area of Mount Olympus
CriteriaMixed: vi, x
Reference1719
Inscription2026 (48th Session)

Olympus National Park (Greek: Εθνικός δρυμός Ολύμπου) is a national park in northern Greece, in the Greek regions of Thessaly and Central Macedonia. The national park was established on 9 June 1938, making it the oldest national park in the country.[3][4] It has an area of 39.88 km².[4][5] The park lies on and around Mount Olympus — the highest mountain in Greece and the mythological dwelling place of the gods. On 15 December 1981, the area was added to the list of biosphere reserves under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB).[2] In July 2026, the wider area of Mount Olympus was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a mixed World Heritage Site, in recognition of its natural and cultural significance.[6][7][8]

Mythology

Olympus National Park is named after Mount Olympus. In Greek mythology, the mountain is known as the place where the twelve Olympian gods lived. The Ancient Greeks believed that the gods had their palaces in the mountain gorges and that the highest peak, Mytikas (2,918 metres), was their meeting place. They also believed that the throne of Zeus, the chief god, was located here, and that this was the place where the gods held their stormy debates.[9][10]

Characteristics

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and the second-highest in the Balkan Peninsula. On the eastern slopes, the mountain consists of dolomitic limestones from the Upper Triassic (200–2,000 metres); the western and southern slopes date from the Paleocene or Cretaceous (1,200–2,000 metres); and the Mytikas complex is dated to the Jurassic (2,000–2,918 metres). On the western slopes, between 700 and 1,100 metres, gneiss also occurs, and on the northwestern slopes, between 600 and 1,200 metres, flysch dating from the Eocene is found. The dominant presence of limestone has a strong influence on the climate and vegetation. Limestone makes the local climate drier, as the temperature rises more quickly and the rock absorbs precipitation.[2]

There are four main vegetation zones in the national park, distributed according to altitude. Between 300 and 500 metres, evergreen vegetation is found, with shrubland and low trees such as holm oak (Quercus ilex), Greek strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne) and kermes oak (Quercus coccifera). Elevations between 600 and 1,400 metres host beech–silver fir communities. These consist mainly of beech (Fagus sylvatica), interspersed in places with species such as Bulgarian fir (Abies borisii-regis), oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis) and black pine (Pinus nigra pallasiana), although pure black pine forests also occur at these altitudes. Stands of Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii) are found between 1,400 and 2,500 metres. At an elevation of about 2,500 metres, Mount Olympus holds the highest tree line in Europe. Above this tree line, biotopes such as alpine grasslands, deep gorges and rocky peaks are present.[9]

Fauna

The area is home to 32 mammal species and is an important refuge for the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) in Greece.[11] In 2009, the number of individuals was estimated at 50 to 70. In addition, mammals such as the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus), wolf (Canis lupus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), wildcat (Felis silvestris), wild boar (Sus scrofa), beech marten (Martes foina) and edible dormouse (Glis glis) also live there.[2]

By 2008, 108 bird species had been recorded in the national park.[11] Among the many birds in the area are rarities such as the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) and three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), and during the breeding season species such as the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba), greater short-toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana), and Cretzschmar's bunting (Emberiza caesia) are also encountered.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Biosphere Reserve Information: Mount Olympus". UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory. 1999. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Natura 2000 - Standard Data Form: GR2350001 - Oros Olympos". Natura 2000. 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Andredakis, P. (2015). "Yp. arithm. 108/02-11-2015 Apofasi tou D.S. tou forea Diacheirisis Ethnikou Drymou Olympou Ar. Synedriasis 17i / 2015 02-11-2015 (pp. 24)" (PDF) (in Greek). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 D/nsi Dason Pierias (2017). "Ethnikos Drymos Olympou" (in Greek). Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Patridognosia (2017). "Ethnikoi Drymoi tis Elladas" (in Greek). Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Mount Olympus and D-Day beaches added to UNESCO World Heritage List". Euronews. 2026-07-26. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  7. ↑ "'No time to waste': Greece bids for Mount Olympus to be included on Unesco list of world heritage sites". The Guardian. 2026-07-25. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  8. ↑ "UNESCO adds Mount Olympus and Japan's ancient capitals to World Heritage List". Associated Press. 2026-07-26. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  9. 1 2 "The broader region of Mount Olympus". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  10. ↑ "General information". Management Agency of Olympus National Park. 2008. Archived from the original on 2017-01-14. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Flora and Fauna". Management Agency of Olympus National Park. 2008. Archived from the original on 2017-01-14. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
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