At the southeastern end of Pieria, under Mount Olympus, the castle of Platamonas, built at a strategic control point of the passage from Thessaly to Macedonia, dominates. The visitor can not miss it, since its size is such that it will surely notice it in his passage from the old National Road. Many consider it as a trademark of the Prefecture of Pieria, so if you find yourself in the area its worth visiting. The castle is in a short distance from the small town of Platamonas, on a rocky hill with a unique view both on the shores of Platamonas and Panteleimonas.
The outer wall of the castle has a polygonal shape with a height of 7.5 m to 9.5 m and a thickness of 1.2 m to 2 m, while there are eight quadrilateral towers in between. The main features of the castle, dating from the mid-Byzantine period (10th century AD), are the first and second perimeter (acropolis) and the main tower. In fact, the central tower is about 16 meters high, with the entrance for safety reasons being raised by at least 2 meters from the ground. It is considered one of the most important towers in Greek castles.
Useful information
Coordinates: 40.00557, 22.597884
Ticket price: EUR 2 (from 1 November to 31 March: EUR 1)
Opening hours: 08.00 – 15.00 daily
Contact Telephone: +30 23520 44470
Free Entry Days:
- March 6, Memory of Melina Merkouri
- April 18, International Monument Day
- May 18, International Museum Day
- The last weekend of September
- Every first Sunday of the month from November 1 to March 31