Mount Parnassos National Park

Parnassos was declared a national park in 1938, the second in Greece, and rises to 2,457 metres at Liakoura. Below about 1,800 metres it carries dense Greek fir forest; above that the mountain turns to bare grey karst full of dolines, shafts and caves, with snow lying into May. The Parnassos Ski Centre on the Kelaria and Fterolakka slopes is the country's largest, with over twenty runs, and in summer the same roads give walkers quick access to the high ground. Marked routes climb to Liakoura from Livadi, and the E4 long-distance path crosses the massif. The mountain was sacred to Apollo and the Muses, which is why Delphi sits at its foot, and golden eagles and wolves still range the higher ground.

The landscape

• The fir forest - dense Greek fir on the lower and middle slopes.
• The karst plateau - bare limestone, sinkholes and long views above the treeline.
• The ski centre - Greece's largest winter sports area on the northern flank.
• Liakoura - the 2,457-metre summit and its panorama over central Greece.

When to go

January to March for snow and skiing; June to October for hiking, when the high plateau is clear. Spring melt leaves the tracks muddy; autumn gives the sharpest air and empty trails.

Good to know

Weather changes fast above the treeline and fog is common on the plateau, where the karst makes navigation confusing without a track. Ski facilities are dated compared with the Alps and weekend queues are long. Roads to the centre can require chains.

Nearby

Arachova and Delphi lie below; the Corycian Cave is on the mountain above Delphi.

Key facts