For several years now, I have been heading off on my annual fall pilgrimage for mushrooms in the Pieria Mountains, west of Olympus in southern Macedonia. In general, my forays take me to places where the locals either aren’t interested in or even fear mushrooms. An Athenian mushroom hunter really has no chance outside such places.
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I usually make Elatohori my base, a village set amid fir forests on the eastern side of the range, some 30 kilometers from the town of Katerini and at an altitude of about 1,400 meters. This year, circumstance led me to different hunting grounds, in the forests of Titaros, a small mountain between Pieria and Olympus -- with which it is connected and is often referred to as part of. What led me to change my plans was a wildcat at the crossroads on my usual itinerary. He was sitting on the side of the road, watching something. When he saw the car, he turned and gave me a threatening look.check on line availability - prices and make a reservation https://economyhotel.cosmores.com
I stopped and stepped out -- camera in hand. He looked at me again in disdain and I saw his bushy tail disappear into the ravine. The encounter put me in a good mood and made me bold enough to brave a forest road with an ordinary car.
It might have also given me good luck. I found a lot more mushrooms than I had imagined, I never once got stuck in the mud, for two to three minutes I befriended a young roe deer that almost threw itself in front of the car, and, to top it all, I found Livadi.
I had seen the sign “Livadi” (Greek for “meadow”) at the crossroads and it hadn’t occurred to me that it might be referring to a village.
At some point, the forest came to an end and I found myself gazing at a plateau with a clear view of Mt Olympus. I thought this was the Livadi the sign was referring to, but then I soon saw a large village with red-roofed houses perched on a beautiful lush slope and realized my mistake.
Livadi, located at the meeting point of three prefectures -- Kozani, Larissa and Pieria -- lies at an altitude of 1,100 meters on Mt Titaros, 37 kilometers from Elassona -- the nearest town -- and has some 2,800 inhabitants. It was most likely founded by Vlach-speaking farmers in the 11th century (an inscription in the Church of Aghios Haralambos dates to 1054).
It flourished thanks to the trade of dairy and woven -- mainly woolen -- products, which continues today. In 1805, Livadi had some 180,000 sheep and goats.
William Martin Leake, a British antiquarian and topographer, reported in 1835 that Livadi was one of the oldest and largest Vlach-speaking settlements in the Pindos range, and therefore dubbed “Vlacholivado,” with about 800 houses. The flourishing community established schools and libraries but was burned down by the Germans during World War II for resistance activities, like many other villages across the country. Until the 1950s, it was one of the most popular summer resorts in the region, due to its reputedly healthy climate.
The area offers visitors an array of trekking and walking routes with panoramic views of the village and the plain, from locations like the Chapel of Profitis Ilias, at 1,350 meters. The Convent of Aghia Triada is one of Thessaly’s most historic. It is also worth visiting the folk history museum, in the house of Georgakis Olympios, an early 19th-century fighter for Greek independence.
How to get there
The shortest route from Athens is via Larissa and Elassona -- a total distance of 428 kilometers. The route describe here is via Katerini, Foteina and Aghios Dimitrios -- a distance of 45 kilometers from Katerini.
What to eat & buy
There are many tavernas where grilled meat dominates the menu; there is also a women’s cooperative where the food is delicious. Lanari has a honey workshop and the dairy products are excellent.
Things to see & do
Lanari offers many options for outdoor activities like mountain biking, archery and horseback riding; there is also equipment for skiing and snowboarding, for which the terrain is excellent.
info: By Dinos Kiousis kathimerini.gr
