Travelling to Greece in a campervan – in terms of distance, that’s completely unrealistic. Or so you might think. Yet it’s just 1,570 kilometres by land from Munich to Thessaloniki, whereas the journey to Lisbon, for example, would be 2,500 kilometres. If that’s still too far for you, you can always take a shortcut to Greece by ferry. That saves you the winding journey through the Balkans and lets you experience even more of mainland Greece.
What is there to do for mountain bikers in Thessaloniki?
Greece’s second-largest city has a fascinating old town and is just under two hours’ drive from Mount Olympus, the ‘Throne of the Gods’, which rises to a height of 2,918 metres. Its various peaks are linked by high-alpine rocky ridges and are ideal for a a two- to three-day crossing of the Olympus Mountains. Whether and to what extent one can make their way up to the ‘Throne of the Gods’ on the rocky slope depends, of course, on the snow and storm conditions in autumn.
If you ask the town’s cycling community, they’d rather steer clear of the perpetually windswept peaks of Mount Olympus and focus on the wooded mountain slopes below. On the shores of the small Katis mountain lake, for example, trails up to ten kilometres long have been laid out amongst the pines and deciduous trees. A constant up-and-down that also offers repeated views of the Aegean Sea.
But the locals’ real local mountain lies just above Thessaloniki: Chortiatis, which is just under 1,000 metres high. To reach its slopes from the city, you wind your way first through backyards, then past ostentatious villas, until you finally reach the small plateaus from which the trails begin. Take a moment to enjoy the view over the city, then head straight into the distinctly rounded bends on the grippy forest floor.
Information on Thessaloniki
Getting here
By car (1,570 kilometres from Munich), by car and ferry, or in just two hours by plane: there are various ways to get to Thessaloniki.
Accommodation in autumn and winter
The advantage of staying in the city: hotels, guesthouses, holiday flats – in Thessaloniki, there are no booking restrictions throughout the winter.
Trail Guides & Shuttles
There’s a top spot for mountain bikers in Thessaloniki: Outline Adventures. The lads and lasses build trails, lead tours, provide bikes for hire and also organise multi-day trips throughout Greece. For example, island-hopping by bike and sailing boat, or crossings of Mount Olympus.
Further information: outlineadventures.com
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
