Dion Archaeological Park

Dion was the religious centre of the Macedonian kingdom, where kings sacrificed to Zeus before campaigns and held games in his honour, and it lies on a plain at the foot of Olympus fed by so many springs that parts of the excavation are permanently under shallow water, which gives the site its distinctive look: column bases and mosaic floors reflected in clear pools with the mountain behind. Highlights include the sanctuary of Isis, its statues standing in water where they were found, the sanctuary of Demeter, Hellenistic and Roman baths with fine mosaics, a theatre, and a long paved city road with drainage channels beneath. The site museum in the village holds the statues, the mosaic of Dionysos and a working hydraulis, a Hellenistic water organ found here.

What you actually see

• The sanctuary of Isis - statues standing in shallow spring water.
• The paved road - the Roman street with its drainage system.
• The baths and mosaics - Roman thermal buildings with floor mosaics.
• The museum - sculpture, the Dionysos mosaic and the ancient water organ.

When to go

Spring and autumn; the park is green and the water levels are high, though paths can be muddy. Summer is hot on the open plain but the springs keep it cooler than most sites.

Honest expectations

Parts of the site are genuinely waterlogged and boardwalks do not cover everything, so footwear matters. Mosquitoes are present near the water. The site is spread out, with a walk of over a kilometre to see it all.

Nearby

Mount Olympus rises directly above; Platamon castle and the Pieria coast lie south.