Greece and Macedonia: hike the mountain of Gods and visit UNESCO site Ohrid

By popular request we are taking you again to mount Olympus where Aphrodite flashed her beauty and mighty Zeus and his wife Hera had their famous arguments accompanied by thunderstorms.

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In September the weather is perfect for hiking here, warm but not too hot, which is important because we will be going to heights of almost 3000 meters (10000 ft).

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This is a trip for mountain lovers who are curious and fit and would like to visit less known parts of Europe. During nine days we will visit three national parks, UNESCO city of Thessaloniki in Greece and UNESCO site lake and city of Ohrid in Macedonia, swim in lakes and in the Aegean Sea.

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So this trip has it all and if you can only do one trip with us next year, this would be a perfect choice.

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We are starting the trip in Thessaloniki where you will arrive in the evening. The next day after breakfast we will have a guided tour of Thessaloniki, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments. You can also enjoy one of the many cafes in Thessaloniki , the second largest city in Greece which has a very vibrant coffee culture and is widely known for its attractive sites for street photography.

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We’ll then have a transfer to Prionia at 1,100 m – the entrance point of the first national park that we visit on this trip - Olympus. The route from Prionia to the Refuge A is through a thick forest of pine, beech and fir trees, and the path is in good condition.

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Our main luggage will be left at Litochoro, where we return the day after. We will spend this night in a mountain hut with shared rooms and facilities and we’ll carry only the essentials with us. We’ll hike for about 5 hours to make our way up to an altitude of 2,100 m, and reach the hut we’ll have dinner and spend the night there.

On day three we wake up early to greet the morning and enjoy the stunning views.

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After breakfast we will head towards the second highest peak, Skolio, at 2,912 m. Our path runs beneath the Throne of Zeus (Stefani Peak, 2,902 m) and the highest peak in the range, Mytikas (2,915 m), both of which require technical equipment and climbing skills to be reached.

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We do not consider either of these peaks suitable for the whole group, but if any participants want to have a shot at Mythikas or Zeus’s throne, we can arrange that option at the start of the tour. This will entail a detailed briefing about those two options, booking another local guide and renting technical equipment for an extra charge.

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After reaching the summit we’ll go down to the hut at the Plateau of the Muses, where we’ll have lunch break. According to Greek mythology, this is the place where the muses live.

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This is the most demanding and strenuous day of the trip. We will have about 11 hours of effective hiking. Starting at 2100m, reaching a peak of 2912m and descending lightly to a level of 1100m.

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Our hosts have promised some amazing greek food once we're back in Litochoro. If any participants of this trip want to skip doing this part of the hiking activities, they can spend the day back down in Litochoro and at the warm sandy beaches below it.

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Ancient Greeks never tried to climb the peaks of Olympus – Partheon and the Throne of Zeus, (currently called Mytikas and Stefani respectively) – because they considered them to be the home of the Gods and thus inaccessible to people. However, they reached the summit now called Aghios Antonios, from which they had a view of the two peaks and where they left offerings to the Gods, as recent archaeological findings indicate.

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Day four is a day for rest, so after breakfast we’ll have a leisurely stroll in the historical town of Litochoro. We can choose one option for lunch: in a local tavern or in a fish restaurant on the beaches of Plaka – 20 minutes away. After lunch, we’ll have a longer crossborder transfer to Bitola in Macedonia, where we will have an evening stroll down the city centre before we reach our base for the next two days – hotel Molika within the National park Pelister. We’ll have an early night in to get some rest for our next hiking challenge the next day.

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We’ll have an early breakfast and start hiking straight from the hotel, at an altitude of 1420 meters to attempt to conquer the highest peak of the mountain by which the National park was named – peak Pelister at 2601 meters. Pelister National Park covers an area of 17.150 hectares - at altitude of 927 to 2601 m.

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It is abundant with unique natural resources and is home of rare and endemic animal and plant species, beside the especially significant five-needle pine molica, and the diverse wildlife: bears, roe deer, wolves, chamois, deer, wild boars, rabbits, several species of eagles, partridges, red-billed choughs, and the endemic Macedonian Pelagonia trout.

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After breakfast, on day six, we’ll check out from Hotel Molika - which is named by the greatest natural asset of the park – the endemic pine tree Molika (lat. Pinus Peuce). We’ll once again directly start the hike at altitude of 1420m and hike for 4 hours the 9 km trail with ascent 300m and descent 900m to the village Dihovo at 850m altitude, where we’ll taste organic Slow food® branded dishes and drinks.

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We will have a late lunch in a family farm house where we will also try some organic honey they produce.

We’ll reach Ohrid later in the afternoon with a 1 hour transfer from Bitola. In the evening we’ll explore the cobble streets of Ohrid and it’s urban cafes at a slow pace.

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Another full day of hiking is ahead of us –a moderate hike will take we over the Galichica Mountain, the National park between Lakes Ohrid and Prespa, climbing from 1,600 m to 2,255 m and going along the mountain ridge for 8 km (3-5 hours).

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We will be picked up by our minibus to go for lunch at Lake Ohrid via a picturesque mountain road. We’ll taste local grilled trout while sitting on a white pebble beach, where we can also go for a dip in the lake.

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We’ll introduce you to the best of the indigenous wines of Macedonia during the late lunch on the shore – so opt in for a guided winetasting session featuring our favourite sparkling, white, rose and “black” (red) wines produced by 4 different Macedonian wineries.

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On day eight we’ll hike mountain Jablanica – a gorgeous mountain on the Macedonian Albanian border overlooking Ohrid lake, whose trails are amidst lush forests and springs and meadows with butterflies.

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The trail is 12 km long with height difference of 920 meters. It is a round tour starting and ending at village Gorna Belica (1359m) and reaching the peak Crn Kamen (Black Stone, 2212m).

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We’ll have a late lunch in the village of Vevchani, famous for its winter carnival, the rebellious tradition and the stunning springs we will see during a stroll in the village later that day.

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We’ll be back at our hotel in Ohrid in the evening.

The last day of this amazing trip is reserved for a leisurely day around Ohrid. You can stroll along the cobbled streets among Byzantine churches, and hear about three millennia of continuous history with the help of our guide. There is a short walk up to the top of the hill where we will be rewarded with a stunning view of the lake. Swimming in the lake is a great idea,as the water is warm in September although the deepest point of the lake is almost 300 meters.

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We’ll have a guided sightseeing tour and some time for shopping at the fresh food market and the craftsman jewellery stores right after our farewell lunch on the coast of the lake and just before catching the 19:05 flight to London Luton.

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Price:

A full payment of £790 will secure your spot. Due to the fluctuation of the British Pound we reserve the right to amend the price to an equivalent of 910 € at the time of payment. We will send you the conversion rate in British Pounds and the bank details of Hiking the Balkans when you RSVP. The deadline for payment for this trip is 5th of June 2018.

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Included in the price:

• 8 overnights based on B&B - Accommodation in 3 star hotels, family hotels and 1 night in a mountain hut, based on two sharing in twin rooms. Single room supplement is available (except in the mountain hut) on request and the supplement is £150.

• all transfers - Minivan and driver from and to airports for recommended flights, as well as for local transfers according the program.

• English speaking certified mountain guide and local guide for all hikes included.

• three lunch packs on hiking days when there is no alternative for lunch

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You must arrange your own:

• insurance (you can only join this trip if you produce insurance details prior to the trip) Make sure your insurance covers the type of activities you'd like to do during this holiday.

• travel to Greece and from Macedonia (airfare)

• Lunches and dinners in restaurants

• personal expenses for drinks or souvenirs

• Other optional activities and visits.

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Recommended flights:

Outbound flight with Jet2 (http://www.jet2.com/)

London Stansted → Thessaloniki

Flight LS1651 on 22.09.2018 at 16:20 arriving at 21:40 - Price £72

Return flight with Wizz Air (https://wizzair.com/)

Ohrid → London Luton

Flight W6 7909 on 30.09.2018 departing at 19:05 arriving at 21:25 - Price £57.99

This trip is open to all our members as well as to members of London European Club. The total number of participants will not exceed 18 people. Contact Maja or Lea via Meetup to confirm your place before purchasing your flights. We don't like mass gatherings so the trip has a limited number of spaces, once full it is full. These trips are organised with the intention of discovering new countries and destinations in Europe. We are not a travel agency nor are we holiday reps. You will be expected to be a good team player and look after yourself and the members of your group. Join us if you are up for an adventure of a lifetime!

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