In a steep ravine, in the large creek of Ziliana or Kanalon, SW of Litochoro, the remains of the famous city of Livithra can be found. According to myth, this was a ritual site for ancient mystical ceremonies, as well as the tomb of Orpheus, following his death by the frenzied women of the city. Livithra was a mountain settlement for the Macedonians, at a place where four large streams converge, forming the Ziliana creek. Ruins of the impressive acropolis – discovered in 1954, inside the lush, rocky, tree-covered ravine – has been extensively investigated by archaeologists in recent years. At the site of Livithra, an archaeological/experiential park with service and information facilities for guests has been in operation since 2016. Another ancient city, the birthplace of Orpheus, son of the Muse Calliope and King Oeagrus, was Pimplea. Its ruins have not been located, but archaeologists place it somewhere on the banks of the Ennipeas river, above Litochoro, near the chapel of Agia Paraskevi.
