Pieria is the region where you can combine your mountain holiday with a vacation by the sea.
In Pieria Not only will you find the Thermaic coast enchanting,you'll admire Olympos, the mountain of the gods.
Pieria is thickly forested, with plane trees, pines, poplars and firs on Olympos.
The capital of this prefecture, Katerini, lies between the plain of Pieria and Mt. Olympos.
In Katerini you can have a pleasant time visiting the zoo and taking a walk to the Byzantine church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Kontariotissa.
At Dion, 17 km. south of Katerini, archaeologists have brought to light the extensive ruins of the Macedonians' sanctuary of the gods.
Among the lush vegetation and springs of the Pierian plain, just before the ascent to Olympos begins, one can see the ruins of the sanctuary buildings - the temples, two theatres and a stadium - while next to them, to the north, the remains of the ancient city of Dion stretch out.
It was closely associated to Zeus as its name implies (in Greek the god is called Dias).
The city of Dion was well fortified by the wall erected in the 4th century B.C., and it had a splendid layout.
To go back to the present, Leptokaria has a lovely beach long enough to attract crowds of Greek and foreign tourists each summer.
Other seaside resorts are Methoni, Nea Agathoupoli with its splendid fishmarket, Agios Panteleimonas with its Venetian castle, Platamonas with its sandy beaches, and Makrigialos with the ruins of ancient Pydna.
The enchanting valley of Enipeas with its river coming down from Olympos is worth visiting.
