Beyond its mythological significance, Mt. Olympus is renowned for its fauna and flora biodiversity, since it is considered to be one of the top-ranking and rarest ecosystems on earth, which are under the protection of the international community. The Mt. Olympus National Park has a diversity of more than 1.800 species of plants, 23 of which – mainly flowers – cannot be found anywhere else in the world. There is also a wide range of fauna, however many of the mammals and birds of prey are presently categorized as endangered species. The global value of the natural heritage of Olympus has been acknowledged by UNESCO, which in 1981 incorporated it in the Biosphere World Reserves ecosystems, which belong to the world heritage. The European Union has also included Olympus in the “Most Important for its Bird-fauna Areas of the European Community”. The National Park of Olympus was the first to be established in Greece (1937) and is among the oldest national parks of the world. Its foundation aimed at the protection of the natural environment, the fauna and the flora of the Park from human interference. The core of the National Park covers an area of occupies an area of 44.500 1,000m2, on the eastern side of the mountain, enclosing Enipeas river and the gully of Mavrologgos, beginning at an altitude of 600m, reaching up to the Skolio – Mytikas – Stefani ridge.
