During the 18th congress of the Hellenic Botanical Society, an excursion to Mt. OLYMPUS is scheduled for October 4, 2024.
The Enipeas Gorge
The Enipeas Gorge starts at the locality of Prionia, at an altitude of 1,100 m, where the permanent flowing river Enipeas originates, extending down to Litochoro.
A path of about 12 km, which is part of the European path E4, runs through the gorge, intersecting the Enipeas River seven times.
Within the gorge lies the historic Monastery of Saint Dionysios of Olympus, founded in the 16th century and which is being restored after its destruction in 1943.
The flora & vegetation along the path
Our route on the path follows Enipeas River. The vegetation mainly consists of black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) stands, with some occurrences of Heldreich's pine (Pinus heldreichii Christ) at the Prionia area.
In wet places along the route, beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands exist, in the composition of which the European yew (Taxus baccata L.) participates, especially in the wider area of Saint Dionysios Monastery. Willow (Salix elaeagnos Scop.) is also occurring frequently along the river.
Other important flora species along the path are the local endemic species Jancaea heldreichii (Boiss.) Boiss., which is emblematic of the Greek flora and grows on wet limestone rocks, as well as the insectivorous plant species Pinguicula crystallina Sm., growing on shaded rocks with water flow.
Program
| 08:30 | Departure from Thessaloniki |
| 10:00 | Guided tour at the Information Centre of the Olympus National Park Management Unit in Litochoro |
| 11:00 | Departure for the locality Prionia - Coffee break |
| 12:00 | Hiking (3 km) in the gorge of Enipeas to the Monastery of Saint Dionysios |
| 13:30 | Short guided tour of the Monastery of Saint Dionysios |
| 15:30 | Lunch in Litochoro |
| 18:00 | Departure from Litochoro |
| 19:30 | Arrival in Thessaloniki |
Notes:
- The path from Prionia to the Monastery of Saint Dionysios is easy, with no particular difficulty. However, appropriate clothing and footwear is strongly recommended.
- Water and dry food will be provided by the organizing committee of the conference.
- Those who do not wish to participate in the hike can enjoy the nature of Mount Olympus at Prionia and take the bus to Saint Dionysios Monastery.
- The participation fee for the conference excursion to Mount Olympus is 30 € for members and non-members of the H.B.S. and accompanying persons, and 25 € for students. This cost includes the transfer-tour to Mount Olympus and lunch.