PREFECTURE OF PIERIA

The prefecture boarders north with Imathia`s prefecture, eastwards there is a Thermaikos gulf, west it boarders with the prefectures of Kozani and Imathias and south with the one of Larissa.

According to the legend Pieria is the land of the Muses, who the poet makers call Pierides, and Orpheus, the divine lyre player, who enchant with his music the hard-hearted god of the death in order to take back his dead beloved woman and Mainades, the cruel deities of revenge, tore him to pieces on their sacred rage. Over Pieria`s all green meadows and the beautiful seashores dominates Olympus, the mountain that the ancient Greeks choosed for their gods` residence. According to the tradition, Pieres lived here in the Prehistorical Times, a Tracean tribe which was later expelled by the Macedonians. The excavations proved that not only the level areas but even Olympos was inhabited by many people since the Copper Age, while something very important is that this civilization presents very close relations with the Mycenaean one, developed at the same time, fact that makes us think again the traditions of the Macedonians and the Argian descent of their royal family, who were descendants of Timenos. On the other hand, it is known that Pieria was the first place from where the Macedonians spread, towards Imathia at first, where they founded the state of Aeges, while it is not accidental the fact that at Dion there was the sacred place of worship (the temple of Zeus) of all the Macedonians.
Except the independent littoral cities of Pydna and Methone, Pieria belonged from the start to the kingdom of down Macedonia. Other cities mentioned, except Dion, are Leibithra, Pibleia and Eracleion, which probably were lying southwards, among the present villages of Platamonas, Skotina and Litochoro. In the Middle Ages, the area came up against successive invasions because of its strategical position as it was the passage to south Greece. In 1389, Pieria was conquered by the Turks, when Kitros was captured, the religious and political centre of the area, yet during the Turks domination Olympus and Pieria were almost free, hiding place and headquarters of the rebels. Pieria was liberated in 1912.

Katerini: Capital of the prefecture with 52.709 inhabitants, built on the plain which is formed between the mountains of Pieria and Olympus. The centre of the present city is a group of houses of refugees from Sinai mountain, founded in the years of the Turks` domination. In the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 20th century, Katerini was a flourishing civic centre with 3,700 inhabitants, among which 2,500 were Greeks, and it was the base of bishop Kitrous. There were Greek schools in the city since 1871 and after 1900 new ones were added. After its liberation, in 1912, and the settlement of refugees from Pontus and south Russia, the increase of the population was remarkable and the city was economical developed because of the cultivations of tobacco which is exported to foreign markets.

Litochoro: Small town with 7.011 inhabitants, 24km south of Katerini. Built on the slopes of Olympus, it is a place where the people are spending the summer and starting point of mountain climbing towards the tops of the mountain. Port of the town is Plaka, 4km eastwards.

Platamonas: international centre where people are spending the summer, with clean sea, sandy beaches and forest of plane-trees. It is lying 40km south-east of Katerini.
Worth seeing is the Frank castle, built in 1204 by Bonifatios the Momferatikos in order to guard the passage towards south Greece. In 1218, it was captured by Theodor Angelos on account of Epirus`s Despotato. In older times there was on the same position a byzantine fortress, while in the ancient times the city of Eracleion was lying here. Nowadays the castle, with the excellent view, is saved in a very good condition and it is used for various civic activities. Also, worth seeing are the areas of "pigi of Artemida" (spring of Diana), "pigi of Muses" and "pigi of Agio Bema", with the picturesque traditional water mill.