Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus reaches 2,917 meters (9,570 feet) at its highest summit, Mytikas, making it the tallest mountain in Greece. The massif has multiple prominent peaks in addition to Mytikas, including Stefani and Skolio, which together form the dramatic skyline visible from the surrounding plains of Thessaly and Macedonia.

Mount Olympus is a popular climbing destination, with most routes beginning from the town of Litochoro on the mountain's eastern side. The standard ascent to Mytikas involves a non-technical but exposed scramble from the Skala peak, while easier routes reach the Plateau of the Muses and several mountain refuges without requiring the final summit push.

In ancient Greek religion, Mount Olympus was believed to be the home of the Twelve Olympian gods, including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Athena, who were said to dwell in palaces hidden in the clouds above its peaks. The mountain's towering, often cloud-shrouded summits gave it a natural aura of divine inaccessibility that made it central to Greek mythological tradition for centuries.

Mount Olympus is protected within Mount Olympus National Park, Greece's first national park, established in 1938 to preserve the mountain's unique biodiversity and landscapes. The park is also part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, reflecting its ecological importance as a refuge for endemic plant species and wildlife in the southern Balkans.