Mount Parnassus, is a mountain of limestone in central Greece that towers above Delphi, north of the Gulf of Corinth, and offers scenic views of the surrounding olive groves and countryside. According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Apollo and the Corycian nymphs, and the home of the Muses. The mountain was also favored by the Dorians. There is a theory that Parna– derived from the same root as the word in Luwian meaning House.
Parnassus was also the site of several unrelated minor events in Greek mythology. In some versions of the Greek flood myth, the ark of Deucalion comes to rest on the slopes of Parnassus. This is the version of the myth recounted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Orestes spent his time in hiding on Mount Parnassus. Parnassus was sacred to the god Dionysus.
The Corycian Cave, located on the slopes of Parnassus, was sacred to Pan and to the Muses. In Book 19 of The Odyssey, Odysseus recounts a story of how he was gored in the thigh during a boar hunt on Mount Parnassus in his youth. Parnassus was also the home of Pegasus, the winged horse of Bellerophon.
Today, the slopes of Mount Parnassus are the location of two ski centres. The Parnassos Ski Centre is composed of two sections, Kellaria and Fterolakka, which together make up the largest ski centre in Greece. A smaller ski centre (only two drag lifts) called Gerontovrahos is across a ridge from Kellaria. Parnassus is mined for its abundant supply of bauxite which is converted to aluminium oxide and then to aluminium.
The construction of the ski resort started in 1975 and was completed in 1976, when the first two drag lifts operated in Fterolaka. In 1981 the construction of a new ski area was completed in Kellaria, while in winter season 1987–1988 the chair lift Hermes started operating and connected the two ski areas. Both ski resorts continued expanding and in 1993 the first high-speed quad in Greece was installed, named Hercules.
Today the ski centre operates with 14 lifts,a 4-seater cable car, a 4-seater high-speed chair lift, four 3-seaters, one 2-seater chair lift and 6 drag lifts, with a maximum capacity of about 5000 people per hour. The ski centre boasts 25 marked ski runs and about 12 ski routes of 30 km (19 mi) total length while the longest run is 4 km (2 mi).
Itinerary
Itinerary
Arachova is a mountain town in the prefecture Boeotia built on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus in altitude 968 meters. Arachova is a touristic attraction because of the proximity to popular Delphi but was developed in the late 20th century with a ski resort. The main products are olives.
The traditions and popular activities are maintained and are celebrated by the inhabitants. Traditional dances, the reviving of the fight of Arachova against the Turks as well as meals. Traditional cheese include Formaella (which is sold only in Arachova) and Tsipouro (a grappa like liquor). The skiing resorts of Parnassus are situated in the northwest on the Parnassus. It is the most modern and largest skiing resorts in Greece.
We take the way back to Athens.
Alternative Tour Options:
There are so many other things to see in this area. Keep in mind that your
driver is at your disposal, so if you would like to adjust the
proposed itinerary at all, just let him know!