Why this ride
241 km from Díon to Díon, about 4 h 15 of riding. It goes by way of The wider area of Mount Olympus, Archaeological Site of Aigai and back through The wider area of Mount Olympus.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Archaeological site of Dion and Archaeological Site of Aigai
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 241 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 15
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Archaeological site of Dion
Mount Olympus rises straight out of the plain behind Dion, and on a clear morning its snow-streaked summit seems close enough to touch. The ancient Macedonians built their most sacred city here, at the foot of the home of the gods, and the kings came to sacrifice to Zeus before going to war. Philip II celebrated victories here, and Alexander the Great is said to have held a great festival at Dion before setting out to conquer Persia. Walking among the ruins, you can see why they chose the place: water bubbles up everywhere, the plain is fertile, and the mountain looms like a living presence.
Read the complete Archaeological site of Dion write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Archaeological site of Dion is where the day begins. Next is The wider area of Mount Olympus.
2. The wider area of Mount Olympus
The gods chose well. Mount Olympus rises almost straight out of the Aegean, from sea level near Litochoro to 2,918 metres at Mytikas, its highest summit, in barely twenty kilometres, so that from the coast road it looks less like a mountain than a wall of grey rock and dark forest with clouds snagged on top. The ancient Greeks put their twelve Olympians up there, and on a stormy afternoon with thunder rolling around the peaks you can see why.
Read the complete The wider area of Mount Olympus write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The wider area of Mount Olympus comes up about 26 km into the recorded legs. Next is Archaeological Site of Aigai.
3. Archaeological Site of Aigai
In 1977 the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos lifted the stone slab of a vaulted tomb under a huge mound near the village of Vergina and found a gold casket holding the cremated bones of a man in his forties, with a golden wreath beside them. Most scholars now accept that it was Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, murdered in the theatre of the old capital in 336 BC. The mound, the Great Tumulus, is the centrepiece of Aigai, the first capital of Macedon, and today the royal tombs are displayed underground in a museum built inside the tumulus itself, in a half-light that makes the gold glow.
Read the complete Archaeological Site of Aigai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 121 km into the recorded legs you reach Archaeological Site of Aigai. Next is back through The wider area of Mount Olympus.
4. back through The wider area of Mount Olympus
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The wider area of Mount Olympus write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through The wider area of Mount Olympus, late in the day. Next is Archaeological site of Dion.
5. Archaeological site of Dion
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Archaeological site of Dion write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Archaeological site of Dion. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Archaeological site of Dion to The wider area of Mount Olympus
Archaeological site of Dion → The wider area of Mount Olympus is 26 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The wider area of Mount Olympus to Archaeological Site of Aigai
The wider area of Mount Olympus → Archaeological Site of Aigai is 95 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Archaeological Site of Aigai to back through The wider area of Mount Olympus
Archaeological Site of Aigai → back through The wider area of Mount Olympus is 93 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through The wider area of Mount Olympus to Archaeological site of Dion
back through The wider area of Mount Olympus → Archaeological site of Dion is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.