Platamonas Castle

The ancient fortress of Platamonas locks the passage between the many-domed Olympus and the waters of the Thermaikos Bay. Every traveler considers it his duty to rise to the snow-white walls of the castle: after all, fertile lands of Thessaly and the bellicose Macedonia stretch from the foothills of the fortress to the foggy distance.

Remains of former greatness
The south-eastern slope of the majestic Olympus adorns the fortress of Platamonas with its serrated side view. This ancient artifact was left by the Venetians as an inheritance to the modern Greeks. It cannot be overlooked by driving along the highway that runs from the southern cities of Hellas to the sunny towns of Macedonia. A green hill, densely overgrown with trees, a white stone castle with a sharp-toothed wall, an octagonal tower soaring for tens of meters, and a misty Olympus hovering in the background. A very special atmosphere reigns near this fortress. This harmony makes every traveler feel the spirit of this place. The special atmosphere helps the fortress of Platamonas to fit into the Mediterranean landscape of Northern Greece. 



The white walls of the Byzantine castle saw much. Platamonas Hill was attracted to King Boniface Montferrat, whose words alone were enough to make the walls of defensive fortifications glisten on the green slopes. The fortress of Platamonas stood exactly at the point where the border between Thessaly and Macedonia passed. Sentinels could observe everything that occurs on the plain from its towers. The Byzantines managed to control from here the pedestrian and sea lanes to the lands of Thessaly. The castle of Platamonas passed from the hands of one militant empire to the possession of another because of its strategic location. On the main tower flags were alternated and in the castle walls someone else's speech was heard but Platamonas stood and was invulnerable to all enemy shells.


The centuries-old wars
Ancient cannons are still preserved on the walls of the fortress and they are menacingly looking at the friendly waters of the Termaikos bay. However, this friendliness was so deceptive at times! After all, the invaders came by sea and they flooding the shores of the bay with hundreds of battle ships. In this historical moments the richest of the Macedonia cities, the great Heraclius was destroyed, towering here on the Platamonas hill. It happened centuries before the Byzantines began to create their fort on these hills. The path from Southern Greece to the northern cities of Macedonia ran through these lands, carrying messages, goods, and spectacles to Irakly. And all that remains of the former grandeur is the traces of the Hellenistic walls of the fourth century and the glorious history sung by the ancient Greek poets.



Now Platamonas is the attracts travelers all over the world. Someone notices the jagged walls of the castle from the road and someone is heading to these slopes purposefully wanting to get to know this wonderful place. The travelers rise to Platamonas for different purposes, go down with the same ecstasy in the eyes. After all, a panorama opens from the walls and octagonal tower of the castle which explains everything: the reason why new forts were built on the hill over and over again, and Platamon's eventful history and bloody battles for this fortress. Such places do not just die. And Platamonas will remain for more than one century. It’s a key that locks the entrance to the Tembey canyon.