Vale of Tempe

The Peneios river cuts through the mountain wall between Olympus and Ossa in a gorge about ten kilometres long and, in places, only twenty-five metres wide, with cliffs rising several hundred metres and plane trees leaning over the water. In myth Apollo purified himself here after killing the Python and cut a laurel branch to carry to Delphi, and laurel from Tempe crowned victors at the Pythian Games; the valley was sacred and heavily celebrated in ancient poetry. A footbridge crosses to the small cave church of Agia Paraskevi in the cliff, and paths run along the riverbank. The main road now bypasses the gorge through tunnels, which has made the old road quieter and the valley pleasanter than it was for decades.

The landscape

• The narrows - cliffs closing to about twenty-five metres above the river.
• Agia Paraskevi - a cave church reached by a footbridge over the water.
• The riverside paths - shaded walks under plane trees along the Peneios.
• The mountain walls - Olympus on one side, Ossa on the other.

When to go

Spring for full river and green shade, autumn for colour. Summer is busy with coach stops and can be hot outside the shade. The bypass tunnels mean traffic noise is far less than it once was.

Good to know

The main stopping point is a commercialised layby with souvenir stalls and a car park, which surprises those expecting wilderness. The walking paths are short. The gorge is best appreciated on foot away from the bridge area.

Nearby

Ambelakia climbs the slope above; Olympus and the Pieria coast lie north.

Key facts