MOUNT OLYMPUS IS LOCATED IN THE OLYMPUS RANGE ON THE BORDER BETWEEN THESSALY AND MACEDONIA, BETWEEN THE REGIONAL UNITS OF PIERIA AND LARISSA, ABOUT 80 KM (50 MI) SOUTHWEST FROM THESSALONIKI, GREECE.

It is the highest mountain in Greece and the second highest in the Balkans. The mountain has 52 peaks and its highest one stands at 2,918 m (9,573 ft) above sea level. Olympus was symbolic in Greek mythology as the home of the gods. Mount Olympus is also famous for its rich flora and diverse fauna. In 1938, it has become the first National Park in Greece. Currently, it is also a World's Biosphere Reserve.

Every year thousands of people visit Olympus to admire its natural surroundings, to tour its foothills, and reach its summits. Organized mountain tours and various mountaineering and climbing routes are available to travelers wishing to explore it. The usual starting point is the town of Litochoro, on the eastern slope of the mountain, 100 km from the city of Thessaloniki, where the famous Olympus Marathon ends every summer.

THE FIVE HIGHEST PEAKS IN GREECE:

Mount Olympus – 2,918 m (9,573 ft), about 80 km (50 mi) southwest from Thessaloniki, Greece.
Mount Smolikas – 2,637 m (8,652 ft), in the Pindus mountain range, Greece.
Mount Kaimaktsalan – 2,524 m (8,281 ft), in the Voras mountain range, Greece.
Mount Giona – 2,510 m (8,235 ft), in the Pindus mountain range, Greece.
Mount Tymfi – 2,497 m (8,192 ft), in the Pindus mountain range, Greece.