Parnitha Mountain

Parnitha Mountain is the highest mountain in Attica (1.400 m) and one of the most beautiful in Greece. It has been declared a natural park and is part of the Natura 2000 network. It is located 30 km NW of Athens and in its vast and full of pine trees national park, live 30 mammal species (deer, rabbits, foxes etc), 120 bird species (many of which are endemic) and 800 different plant and herb species. Ancient Greeks believed that the cloven-hoof god Pan used to come here to play his flute and dance in the forest. Parnitha was first inhabited during the Mycenean Period and was always a key point area for Attica’s defense. Parnitha is the perfect place for nature and hiking lovers, herb collectors and outdoor activities fans. Visitors can walk on hundreds of footpaths, take a mountain bike ride on a designated trail in the area of Agios Merkourios, explore dozens of small caves and visit a lot of beautiful churches and monasteries (Agia Triada, Moni Kleiston, Moni Agiou Kyprianou etc). The historic Casino of Parnitha (Mont Parnes) is located on the top of the mountain, as are the Flabouri and Bafi nature preserves.