Pieria - Pieria

Pieria is a region in the north of Greece and belongs to Macedonia.

The region lies south of the region Thessaloniki on the east coast of Greece on the Thermaic Gulf. Opposite is the peninsula Chalkidiki with its westernmost branch Kassandra. About 120,000 people live in Pieria. A large part of the population lives from agriculture and tourism. While the landscape on the coast is quite flat and there is a large plain around Katerini, it quickly becomes hilly and then mountainous towards Olympus.

Regions

• The Olympus
• Olympic Riviera

places

• The main town Katerini
• Dion (excavation)
• Pydna, archaeological site
• Leptocaria
• Litochoro
• Neos Panteleimonas
• Panteleimonas
• Paralia
• Platamon
• Platamon (castle)

Other goals

background

The Pieria region is mainly agricultural. Fruits (especially kiwis) and vegetables, but also olives and cotton are grown. Cotton and kiwis have a good reputation internationally and are largely exported. The tourism industry has developed for this purpose. In the past it was mainly Greeks who vacationed here; there is also increasing international tourism.

language

Greek is spoken. But you also get along very well with English. There are also a lot of people who speak a little German or French.

Away from the main streets, the signs are no longer signposted in two scripts, they are limited to the Greek script. This also applies to the shops and restaurants.

getting there

By plane

He's very close by 40.51972222.970917Thessaloniki Airport(IATA: SKG) ; Pieria can be reached in less than an hour on the motorway.

By train

The railway line runs through Pieria from Athens to Thessaloniki. Sometimes there are S-Bahn trains that stop at many different places.

By bus

Pieria has a well-developed bus system. You can get to almost any town by bus if you have the time. The buses are mostly air-conditioned and inexpensive. The center of the bus connections is in Katerini. There's a big one here 40.274822.513711 Bus station, where you have connection to the other bus routes. Since most of the information is only signposted in Greek, you often have to ask yourself something.

In the street

The motorway runs through Pieria , the Athens With Thessaloniki connects and has been expanded to four lanes since 2017. It is subject to a toll, on the way you have to pay your obulus at the toll stations, there are sometimes automatic coin-operated cashier stations with change, mostly also manned ticket booths. The motorway passes under Katerini in a tunnel opened in 2004.

mobility

You can get everywhere by car without any problems, most of the destinations are written in Greek and also with Latin letters. In the towns and on the beaches, parking spaces are often in short supply in the high season.

You get more problems with a bike; Since only a few Greeks ride bicycles here, the roads are not equipped for cyclists either. There are no bike paths.

Tourist Attractions

The most famous part of Pieria is the beach, the so-called olympic riviera. It is an approx. 70 km long sandy beach that stretches almost over the entire coast of Pieria. There are numerous seaside resorts on this beach, some of which are animated by international tourism, but also many places that are used by Greeks for recreation. The most famous seaside resorts are Paralia, Platamon and Leptocaria.

activities

Numerous activities are offered. In addition to the well-known water sports and other sports, hiking is a great way to enjoy Pieria. Much of the Olympus belongs to Pieria. There are numerous opportunities to hike here, many paths that also satisfy the most demanding hikers.

A trip to the capital of Macedonia, Thessaloniki is definitely worth a trip. Here you can just go shopping, but also visit the numerous museums, take a look at the old town and just experience how this city works.

kitchen

There is typical Greek cuisine, fast-food chains are not yet or very rarely found. There are mostly small restaurants that form the well-known Greek backdrop. The international seaside resorts have already adapted to the needs of the guests. In the hinterland, however, you can find very nice, traditional restaurants everywhere, which are actually only visited by the locals from the village and where you can enjoy Greek cuisine. There are recipes under this link:Greek kitchen.

nightlife

Pieria's nightlife cannot be summed up. In the international tourist resorts, beach parties can sometimes take a little longer. In the villages it is more comfortable, there you drink red wine and ouzo. But you won't find discos here.

security

There is almost no crime in the rural areas; only in the high season can imported crime become a problem in the seaside resorts on the Olympic Riviera. But you just have to follow the usual safety recommendations.

graffiti

Almost all areas that do not belong to an owner are fully painted with so-called "tags", i.e. name symbols. There is hardly any artistically demanding graffiti, mostly just graffiti. Obviously the sprayers have more respect for private property, but everything that could be public in any way is painted in full.

climate

On the coast there is a mild, Mediterranean climate, if you go further inland you come to the area of ​​the continental climate. The table refers to the coast.

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average air temperature in ° C	7	10	12	18	22	25	28	28	24	19	12	8	O	17.8
Average water temperature in ° C	12	12	13	14	18	22	24	25	23	20	16	14	O	17.8
Rainy days in the month	6	6	7	7	6	6	4	3	4	6	7	8	Σ	70

literature

• Free travel guide about the Olymp region. Twenty-three attractions are featured throughout Pieria, including the Castle of Platamonas, the Archaeological Park and the Archaeological Museum of Dion. Title: Olympus - Ancient sites, museums, monasteries and churches.

Web links