Old Monastery of Agios Dionysios

The monastery of Agia Triada of Olympus was restored by the monk, saint of the orthodox church, Dionysus, in 1543, at the gully of Enipeas, at the place where there was an older Byzantine monastery with the same name. The Thessalian blessed Dionysus the young (from Drakotripa Karditsas), before the establishment of the coenobium on Olympus, he had been a monk at Meteora and an abbot at the monastery of Philotheos at Mt. Athos, having the reputation of a literate ascetic and calligrapher. The Turks destroyed the monastery several times due to fires and raids, since it had been a base of Macedonian thieves. It was devastated in 1943 by the German occupation troops, who considered as a centre of national resistance on Olympus. As for the old monastery, the ruins of the catholic (of the central church), an 18th century building, and of the northern wing together with the altar and the monastery’s tower are still preserved.

Tower of Mamtzios | Tsaritsani

The restored tower of Mamtziou, to the north-west of the village, is an old stone building which is 14m tall, and has a raised ground floor, basements and three floors, the last of which is double in size. The flooring is made of wooden boards and beams. There also used to be wooden staircases. In total there are 84 embrasures on all floors, which helped to repel the frequent attacks from Albanians, who came from the regions of Kolonia and Erseka.

Monastery of Panagia Olympiotissa

The Holy Monastery of Olympiotissa is considered one of the largest monastic complexes in Thessaly. The monastery’s katholikon is a four-column church in honour of the Virgin Mary. It was founded in the 14th century. The murals were also crafted at that time, but were restored in 1643.

Monastery of Petra

After Fotina, a junction on the national highway leads to the Monastery of Petra and to the village named after it. From the old monastery, the only surviving part is that of the church, which was built in 1754 with materials taken from an older Byzantine building. There were contemporary additions to the monastery, a building that has served as a sanatorium before the war and a mental care home up until the end of the 20th century.
The beautiful village of Petra is a starting point for those ascending the northern peaks of Olympus and has guest-houses and taverns. After Petra, the road leads to the mountain village of Kokinopilos, located on the side of Olympos that is overlooking Thessaly.

Church of Agia Kori | Vrontou

In a rocky cavern, near the monastery of Agia Triada in Vrontou, there is the chapel of Agia Kori, where there is also a spring-holy water, surrounded by an impressive scenery of shady trees.

Church of the Dormition at Kontariotissa

The byzantine church of Theotokos Kontariotissa or Kountouriotissa, overlooking the village named after it, was built in the beginning of the 11th century and is one of the most significant byzantine monuments in Macedonia. Its architecture resembles that of the Agia Sofia church in the city of Thessaloniki; it has a cross-shaped dome surrounded by a gallery and two chapels on the north and on the south side respectively. Inside, there are remainings of murals dating back to the late 15th or early 16th century.
Only a few kilometres away from Panagia Kontariotissa, there is the modern monastery of Agios Efraim one of the most visited monasteries by Greek Christians.