Parnassus is a mountain range in central Greece, towering over the ancient city of Delphi. Parnassus is located north of the Gulf of Corinth, and from there you can enjoy a picturesque view of endless olive groves and pristine sacred land. According to Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus was a sacred place for Apollo, other gods, and the whole world in general. It is here that the “navel of the Earth” is located – the center of our amazing planet. In honor of the legendary god, a temple of Apollo was built near Parnassus in ancient times, where the priestess Pythia, on behalf of God, told about the fate of everyone who came here.

Not far from the Parnassus resort there are several beautiful villages: Arachova, famous for its handmade carpets, and Itea, filled with olive groves. The main feature of Parnassus is the presence of the largest ski resort in Greece, which is popular throughout Europe among winter vacationers and professionals. There is no hotel in the resort itself, accommodation is only available in neighboring towns.

Parnassus is one of the most beautiful peaks in Greece, where a mild climate prevails and bright colors play.

Parnassus is an ideal place for those who want to conquer the mountain slope on skis for the first time. Beginners in skiing will like Parnassus, because there are many short and safe slopes, somewhat easy for lovers of skiing. Parnassus is a chain of mountains that starts from Eta and stretches southeast to the Gulf of Corinth. There are a couple of the highest peaks on Parnassus – Tiforea and Likorea, or Liokura. The Parnassus mountains are covered with forests, and their peaks are covered with snow. Today, Parnassus is known for its ski resorts and invaluable historical history with unique monuments of ancient cultures.

History of Parnassus

The history of Parnassus is closely connected with the mythology and history of ancient Greece, especially with the sacred oracle, which is still preserved on this holy land in Delphi. The name of Mount Parnassus comes from the name of the hero who founded a city at the foot of the mountain, which was soon destroyed by a flood. Then the locals began to go to the mountains, where they founded a new, modern Parnassus. However, the first name of the city was Likuria, and even today it is used along with the name “Parnassus”.

The role of Parnassus throughout history has been great. Parnassus was a place of reunion of the tribes of Southern Greece, who fought with the Persians, and the mountains played a decisive role in the revolution of 1821, sheltering the Greek population from the warring Turks. In 1938, Parnassus began to be called the national park of Greece, the territory of which occupies 3513 hectares and is protected by the state.

According to legend, Apollo founded Delphi exactly at the place where he fought with the dragon Python, who was pursuing Apollo’s mother. The great god defeated the dragon and left it in a cave, where he built an ancient city. After death, the dragon still emitted steam, and a crack formed in the city from which the steam came out. The draft was so strong and intoxicating that the Greek prophetesses – the Pythians – sat in the gorges and breathed these steams, falling into a trance and telling the fate of people and the whole world. At first, the Pythians were young girls, and then older women began to be chosen in their place. Locals believed that Delphi was the center of the Earth.

Climate in Parnassus

The climate of Parnassus is subtropical, characterized by fairly mild winters and extremely hot summers. The skiing season begins in December and lasts until April. Mostly people come to Parnassus at a certain time in order to do active recreation and sports, while the rest of the year tourists prefer to relax in neighboring Delphi.

In spring and autumn, tourists come here for sightseeing purposes, when nature blooms or the heat is gone. The hottest months are July and August with an average temperature of +26 .. + 27 degrees. In the mountains, the temperature is higher, in December the average air temperature in the resort is -5 ..- 8 degrees, and in January it drops to -15 ..- 18 degrees.

How to get there

The nearest international airport is in Athens (215 km). Travel time is 2 hours 45 minutes. The most convenient way to get to Mount Parnassos – Fterolakka / Kellar ski resort is to rent a car.

Slopes and lifts

Mount Parnassos – Fterolakka / Kellar ski resort is located in the central part of Greece (Greece). There are 36 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding. There are also 17 lifts to transport guests, with a total capacity of 20,052 people per hour. The winter sports area is located between 1600 and 2300 m.

Parnassus Ski Resort has been operating continuously since 1976 at an altitude of 1640 to 2260 meters. It is one of the largest ski resorts in the country with 23 slopes (some of which are certified by the International Ski Federation FIS) with a total length of 36 kilometers for all skill levels and difficulty levels.

With the modernization of the lifts and the merger of the Cellar-Fterolakas facilities, it is undoubtedly the most modern and technologically advanced ski resort in Greece. In fact, it is the first ski resort in Greece to install a removable aerial lift, and one of the few in the world to have five new Combi lifts since 2015 to serve visitors safely and quickly.

Total length of the climb Total 11.8 km

Number of slopes – 23: 38% for beginners, 42% intermediate and 20% difficult

Length of slopes – from 600 m to 4 km

Artificial snow

Slopes

Aphrodite (red) – 1000 m

Baby 1 (green) – 120 m

Baby 2 (green) – 60 m

Baby 3 (green) – 250 m

Baby 4 (green) – 120 m

Vachos (red) – 500 m

Vachos A (blue) – 1000 m

Vachos B (blue) – 1060 m

Telemachos (blue) – 1200 m

Eolos (blue) – 800 m

Periklis (blue) – 600 m

Iniochos (red) – 1000 m

Ira A (red) – 850 m

Heracles (red) – 700 m

Odysseus (red) – 1000 m

Pan (blue) – 320 m

Hermes (blue) – 700 m

Deianira (blue) – 1600 m

Dias (blue) – 350 m

Pythia (blue) – 620 m

Pythia A (blue) – 500 m

Artemis (red) – 400 m

Sahara (red) – 1000 m

* Designation: black – very difficult, red – difficult, blue – easy, green – very easy

Lifts

Aphrodite (chairlift) – 781 m

Ira (triple chairlift) – 1581 m

Vachos (triple chairlift) – 1468 m

Ermis (triple chairlift) – 1131 m

Iniochos (triple chairlift) – 881 m

Iraklis (tow-tow) – 1125 m

Eolos (double chairlift) – 755 m

Dias (tow-tow) – 360 m

Sahara (tow-tow) – 700 m

Periklis (tow-tow) – 620 m

Odysseas (tow-tow) – 835 m

Pan (tow-tow) – 330 m

Pythia (towable-towable) – 437 m

Baby 1 (towable) – 100 m

Baby 2 (cable-chairlift) – 40 m

Baby 3 (towable) – 180 m

Baby 4 (towable) – 60 m

Ski pass prices Day ticket / Main season

ADULTS € 30

YOUNG € 24

CHILDREN € 15

Hotels

Tagli Resort & Spa 5 stars

Set in the pleasant surroundings of Kalyvia Livadiou, Tagli Resort & Spa offers elegant accommodation and a range of facilities, including a Turkish bath, a swimming pool and free Wi-Fi in public areas. It is a great place for nature lovers, as Parnassus National Park is just a few steps away.

This 5-star hotel offers a sun deck, an express check-in/check-out feature and a sauna. Staff are available 24 hours a day to assist guests with booking tickets and tours.

The elegant rooms are air conditioned and include wireless internet, slippers and a DVD player.

Tagli Resort & Spa’s in-house restaurant offers a menu of Spa offers a wide selection of Greek and international cuisine, served on the summer terrace. Guests are offered a rich breakfast menu.

Parnassus Ski Center is within walking distance of Tagli Resort & Spa. Delphi and Arachova are located in the immediate vicinity.

Ellinon Thea Arachova 4-star hotel

Ellinon Thea Arachova is located in Arachova Village. It offers suites and rooms with wooden floors and stone details, and an indoor pool. Free WiFi is available throughout the property.

All rooms open to a balcony, a flat-screen TV, air conditioning and a minibar. The private bathroom comes with free toiletries, bathrobes and a hairdryer. Some rooms also feature a fireplace.

A homemade breakfast is served daily. Ellinon Thea Arachova also features a bar and a shared lounge.

Parnassos Ski Resort is 17 km away. The archaeological site of Delphi is 11 km away. Free public parking is available on site.

Santa Marina Arachova Resort & Spa 5 stars

Santa Marina Arachova Resort & Spa is located a short drive from Parnassus National Park and offers elegant accommodation, as well as a Turkish steam bath, a Jacuzzi and a heated pool. The resort offers free private parking on site, as well as 5-star accommodation and a bar.

Santa Marina Arachova Resort & Spa overlooks Arachova and offers magnificent mountain views. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi, as well as tennis courts and a sauna.

To ensure a pleasant stay, rooms are equipped with a private balcony, free wireless internet access and a minibar. All are equipped with amenities such as a flat-screen TV, heating and a safe.

Santa Marina Arachova Resort & Spa’s own restaurant, The Lounge, is very popular among vacationers.

ViP Chalet 4 Seasons 4 stars

Located in the pleasant surroundings of Polydrossos, ViP Chalet 4 Seasons offers comfortable accommodation and a wide range of services, including a swimming pool, laundry facilities and free Wi-Fi in public areas. Guests are also offered such amenities as room service, a terrace and an airport shuttle.

The hotel offers a range of services, including a picnic area and barbecue facilities, a safe and luggage storage. Guests traveling by car are also provided with free private parking on site. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s garden.

ViP Chalet 4 Seasons has 8 apartments equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay.

What is interesting to see in Parnassus?

The sights of Parnassus amaze with their diversity and uniqueness. The main attraction of Parnassus is the ruins of the ancient city of Delphi, where the “navel of the Earth” and the temple of Apollo are located. The construction of the Temple of Apollo dates back to the 6th-5th centuries BC, its remains were discovered only in 1892 during excavations. The temple owes its popularity to the Delphic Oracle, which was kept here for many centuries. The main altar of the sanctuary, located opposite the temple and made of black marble, has also survived to this day. Another landmark near Parnassus is the Treasury of the Athenians, built at the beginning of the 5th century BC after the Athenians won the war with Salamis. The treasury contains important trophies and sacred objects, and it is decorated with Parian marble and examples of outstanding art of the archaic era.

An important attraction of Parnassus is the ski resort and center, built right on the mountain. Tourists from all over the world come here to relax and have fun, because Parnassus is not only a holy place and the center of our planet, but also a modern ski center with an excellent infrastructure. There are no hotels for accommodation on the mountain itself, so you have to stay in the neighboring village of Arachova. Arachov is home to all the shops and restaurants, trendy nightclubs and bars, and other entertainment on Parnassus.

Parnassus: Tours and Activities

Excursions on Parnassus offer a wide variety of destinations and themes. The first excursion you should know about takes you to the town of Itea. Itea is a historical settlement where the famous Delphi is located. Delphi is an ancient religious center of Greece, where ancient deities lived. The Delphi panorama offers a magnificent view of the theater and stadium where the famous Delphic Games were held. In another part of the city are endless green olive groves, which, according to legend, belong to Apollo himself.

Wonderful excursions are organized in Delphi, especially in the autumn-spring period. The usual program of such an excursion usually includes a trip to the Castalian spring, built in honor of the god Apollo and his muses. According to legend, the spring has rejuvenating and healing properties.

In Delphi, various excursions are held to the city’s attractions: the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Sacred Square,; stadium and theater. In general, a trip to Delphi is a whole journey to another world – spiritual, peaceful, immense, unlike today’s hectic days. A tour of Delphi also includes a visit to the Archaeological Museum, where you can admire beautiful ancient statues, for example, the famous Charioteer, which dates back to the fifth century BC. e .. In addition, in Delphi you can visit the “navel of the Earth”, which is a monument in the form of a small mountain, where two eagles met, which were released by the god of thunder and lightning Zeus in order to find the center of the Earth.

An excellent pastime on Parnassus will be a visit to the ski resort and skiing from the gentle slopes of the mountain.

Parnassus: Entertainment and Active Leisure

There are two large ski resorts on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The Parnassus Ski Resort consists of two subdivisions, Kellaria and Fterolakka, which together constitute the largest ski resort in Greece. Another small ski resort is called Gerontovrahos and is located not far from Kellaria.

Sports and active leisure in Parnassus are the main motives among tourists who come here. Both ski resorts continue to expand and improve, and in 1993 the first high-speed ski lift in Greece was installed here.

Today, the ski resorts operate with 17 lifts, a 4-seater cable car, a 4-seater high-speed chairlift, the maximum capacity of all lifts is about 20,000 people per hour. Parnas Ski Resort boasts 25 ski runs and about 20 cross-country ski runs, with a total length of 30 km (19 miles). The longest ski run is 4 km (approximately 2 miles).

Transport features of Parnas

A transport feature of Parnas is the absence of any transport in the resort, except for ski buses. All vacationers move here using specialized buses or on their own.

Parnas Resort is small and is a huge ski base. You can move between the nearest cities and resorts by buses that run along various most popular routes. Незалежні туристи як засіб пересування вибирають автомобіль, який можна орендувати в Афінах.

Так само як транспортний засіб тут часто виступають мотоцикли і велосипеди, але тільки в літній період часу. Взимку ж пересуватися між курортами можна на машині, автобусі або таксі.

Сувеніри в Парнасі

У містечку Арахова, яке розташоване в декількох кілометрах від гірськолижного курорту, можна придбати чудові сувеніри з Парнасу – килими, виткані місцевими майстринями. Відмінними сувенірами з Парнасу стануть смачні сири місцевого виробництва і дивовижні вина.

Сувенірами з Парнасу можуть стати і різні дрібнички з панорамою курорту і найближчих міст: декоративні тарілки, брелоки, магніти та картини. Статуетки і мініатюри відомих історичних пам’яток, книги, журнали, вироби та багато іншого послужить відмінним подарунком з курорту. На курорті можна також придбати екіпіровку та інвентар для занять лижним спортом і активним відпочинком, що так само може послужити хорошим сувеніром з Парнасу.