Athens · Delphi and Parnassus Road

A 292 km loop from Thebes

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Why this ride

Ancient stones, mountain air and a real Greek day out. 292 km round from Thívai - plan on about 5 h 37 of riding. The stops in between: Arachova mountain town and Delphi sanctuary. The climb of the day is Parnassus high road. It is a high-mountain day.

Roadbook

1. Thebes fuel fuel

   Thebes, or Thiva in Greek, is one of the great names of mythology and one of the least visited of the great places of the ancient world. The modern town, of about twenty-two thousand people, sits on a low ridge in the plain of Boeotia, north of Athens, surrounded by cotton and wheat fields. The mountains rise on all sides, Helicon to the west, Parnassus beyond, and the Cithaeron range to the south. Almost nothing of the ancient city is visible, but its stories are told in every schoolbook.

   The legends are among the darkest in Greek lore. Founded, it was said, by Cadmus, the Phoenician prince who sowed the teeth of a dragon and watched an army of warriors spring up, Thebes was the home of Oedipus, who solved the riddle of the Sphinx, killed his father and married his mother. His daughter Antigone defied the king to bury her brother, and the war of the Seven Against Thebes followed. Dionysus was said to have been born here. Greek tragedians returned to these stories again and again, and the city's name became a byword for doom.

   In history, the city was equally dramatic. In the fourth century BC, under the general Epaminondas, Thebes defeated Sparta at Leuctra and briefly became the leading power in Greece. Its elite unit, the Sacred Band, made up of paired lovers, fought to the death against Philip of Macedon at Chaeronea in 338 BC, where a stone lion still marks their grave. A few years later, Alexander the Great razed Thebes after a revolt, sparing only the house of the poet Pindar. A small archaeological museum in the town displays finds from the region, including painted coffins and Mycenaean tablets.

   For a rider, Thiva is a crossroads on the way to Delphi, with the road from Athens running across the plain and then climbing toward Livadeia and the slopes of Parnassus. The surface is good and the traffic moderate. Fuel is easy here, with stations along the main road at the edge of town, and a number of simple tavernas serve grilled meat, salads and local wine. Summers are very hot, so start early, and spring is the best season, when the fields are green and the poppies are out. Fill up before heading to the mountains.

2. Arachova mountain town food

   Arachova clings to the southern slope of Mount Parnassus at about 950 metres, a stone-built mountain town in central Greece whose houses climb the hillside in steps, one roof beneath the next. It is a place of narrow lanes and steep stairs, with a clock tower on the rock above the main road and the whole of the Pleistos valley falling away below, silver with olive trees. Delphi lies only eight kilometres to the west, and Arachova has long served as the mountain-town companion to that ancient sanctuary.

   It also has its own history. Arachova played a part in the Greek War of Independence in 1821, when fighters from the town joined the uprising, and the town's festival of Agios Georgios in April is one of the great days of the Greek year, with dancing, traditional costume and roast lamb. The locals are known for weaving, and the shops along the main street sell woollen rugs and bags next to bottles of local wine. They also sell formaella, a hard cheese that is grilled or fried, as well as local sausages and honey. Winter sees the town fill with Athenians heading to the ski resort higher on the mountain, and snow can fall here, so riders should be careful between December and March.

   The main road, the one from Livadeia to Delphi, passes right along the town, and it is busy with tourist coaches and trucks in season. Traffic can be slow in the narrow main street, but the roads beyond it are a pleasure. The climb up from the Boeotian plain toward Arachova is a succession of bends through limestone hills, and the descent toward Delphi and Itea has big views over the Gulf of Corinth. The surface is mostly good, though it can be polished and slippery in the wet, and there is occasional loose grit on corners.

   Because Arachova is a popular weekend destination, it is well supplied, with fuel at the roadside, a good choice of tavernas and cafes, and many places to sit with a coffee and watch the street go by. Sit on a terrace and order something grilled, with a glass of the local red.

   The air at this height is crisp even in summer, and it smells of oregano, pine and woodsmoke. Aim for spring, when the hillsides are green and the poppies are out, or for autumn. In midsummer, the days are hot and the evenings are mild.

3. Delphi sanctuary sight

   Delphi clings to the south slope of Mount Parnassus, above a steep valley full of olive trees that runs down to the Gulf of Corinth, and it is hard to think of another place where the setting so exactly suits the story. To the ancient Greeks it was the centre of the world. Zeus is said to have released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth, and they met here; a carved stone called the omphalos, the navel, marked the spot. The sanctuary of Apollo was the home of the Pythia, a priestess who sat on a tripod over a crack in the rock and delivered riddling answers that kings, generals and city founders paid dearly to hear.

   The site is a long climb up the Sacred Way, between the foundations of treasuries built by Greek cities to hold their gifts, past the base of the Temple of Apollo and up to a theatre and a stadium high on the hill. Beyond a bend in the road, in the sanctuary of Athena, the round tholos with its three standing columns has become the emblem of the place. The museum holds the Charioteer, a bronze statue of astonishing calm, found buried after an earthquake. Above, the cliffs called the Phaedriades catch the light, and the Castalian spring runs beside the road.

   For riders, Delphi is reached by one of the great roads in Greece. From Athens the route runs through Thebes and Livadeia, then climbs into the mountains toward Arachova, a stone village known for its woven rugs and winter skiers, with long bends and cool air. From Arachova the road drops toward Delphi along the face of the mountain with views over the olive grove to the sea, a sequence of corners that is a joy at a steady pace. Surfaces are generally good, but watch for gravel and for tour coaches that take the bends wide.

   Delphi itself is small, so for fuel, Arachova or Amfissa, about twelve kilometres away, is the safe choice. Go early to the site to avoid the heat and the crowds, and ride in spring or autumn, when the hills are green or golden. Winter brings snow to the upper roads.

4. Parnassus high road pass

   The road that leaves Arachova and climbs toward the ski station on Mount Parnassus is one of the best high roads in central Greece, and few visitors on the coach tours to Delphi ever take it. It starts in the town's last bends, where the stone houses give way to fir forest, and rises past the Kellaria and Fterolakka ski areas, with long views back down over the olive groves toward the Gulf of Corinth. Mount Parnassus itself reaches 2,457 metres, a massive block of limestone that was sacred to Apollo and the Muses in antiquity, and the road runs up most of its southern flank.

   The ancient Greeks believed that the oracle at Delphi spoke the words of Apollo, delivered through the priestess known as the Pythia, and that the sanctuary stood at the centre of the world. The Corycian Cave, high on the plateau of Parnassus above Delphi, was a sacred place to Pan and the nymphs, and can be reached on foot from the plateau. These associations give the mountain a presence that goes beyond its height.

   The forest here is mostly Greek fir, which grows dark and dense on the lower slopes, giving way to open, rocky ground above the tree line. In spring, there are crocuses and wild tulips on the high meadows, and in summer, grazing sheep and goats wander across the road. The bends are tight and steady, with gradients that keep you in second and third gear, and the surface can be rough near the top, where winter frost and snowploughs do their damage. It is a quiet road for most of the year, except at ski-season weekends, when traffic from Athens fills it.

   Be aware that conditions change quickly with height. Even when it is warm in Arachova, the upper part of the road can be cold and windy, and snow may linger into late spring. In winter the road is often icy or covered, and chains may be required for vehicles, so check before you go. Fog also rolls in quickly, and the drops at the edge are unprotected in places.

   There are no services on the mountain itself outside the ski season, so fill up at Arachova, which has fuel stations, tavernas and cafes. Amfikleia, to the north-east, and Delphi to the south-west, are the other nearby places. Carry water, and take a layer you can add at the top.

5. Back to Thebes fuel finish

   Back at Thebes fuel. That is the ride.

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