Mount Parnitha ( Greek : Πάρνηθα , pronounced [ˈparniθa] , Katharevousa and Ancient Greek : Πάρνης Parnis / Parnes ; sometimes Parnetha ) is a densely forested mountain range north of Athens , the highest on the peninsula of Attica , with an elevation of 1,413 m, and a summit known as Karavola (Καραβόλα). Much of the mountain is designated a national park , and is a protected habitat for wildfowl , first created in 1961. The summit is located 18 km north of Acharnes and about 30 km north of the Athens city center. The mountain covers approximately 250 km² of land. Other peaks include Mavrovouni (Μαυροβούνι), Ornio (1,350 m), Area (1,160 m), Avgo or Avgho (1,150 m), and Xerovouni (Ξεροβούνι, meaning "dry mountain": 1,120 m). It also has two shelters Mpafi and Flampouri. The name of the mountain dates back to ancient times , when it was under the ancient demes of Acharnae and Decelea .
24-525: Towns surrounding the mountain include Aspropyrgos , Fyli , Acharnes, Varymbombi , Thrakomakedones , Dekeleia , Avlona and Agios Stefanos as well as the settlement of Agios Merkourios . The highway GR-1 ( E75 ) surrounds the northern and eastern part of the mountain along with the Cephissus river, while the Attiki Odos motorway (GR-6) runs to its south. The mountain offers panoramic views of
48-471: A wildfire on Thursday, 28 June 2007 around the morning and noon hours, continuing for several days and burning approximately 56 km² of land; one of the worst recorded wildfires in the prefecture after that of Penteli . The magnitude of the devastation was unforeseen. A smaller fire had, however, taken place in the 1960s. The fire consumed dozens of acres of forest across two prefectures. Firefighters, helicopters, and planes were brought into action across
72-414: A conclusive reforestation program, while many citizens marched on the streets of Athens to express their disapproval of the handling of the situation. More recently, reforestation has been underway, and the government will be receiving tens of thousands of trees to be planted around the mountains, most of them from outside the country, albeit at a small scale thus far. Investigations are still underway as to
96-528: A consequence, pollution has been a problem for years. The refinery includes depots in the southern and eastern parts, and some in the western part and at a dock to the southwest. Afidnes Afidnes ( Greek : Αφίδνες , Ancient Greek : Ἄφιδνα or Ἀφίδναι, from the Middle Ages until 1919: Κιούρκα - Kiourka ) is a small town in East Attica , Greece . Since the 2011 local government reform it
120-568: A residential downtown area and an industrial area where a number of storage warehouses, metal recycling facilities, logistics handlers, wholesalers, small construction companies and other industrial businesses operate. The Aspropyrgos Refinery , south of the city and next to the sea, has been producing oil for many years. It is the largest in Greece (together with the Eleusis refinery), with an annual capacity of 135,000 bbl/d (21,500 m /d). As
144-659: Is a western suburb, in the Athens metropolitan area and a municipality in the West Attica regional unit in the Thriasio Plain , Attica , Greece . The municipality had a population of 31,381 at the 2021 census. It has an area of 101.983 km . The name 'Aspropyrgos' is derived from the Greek words άσπρο , meaning 'white', and πύργος , meaning 'castle' or 'tower'. Aspropyrgos is located 15 km northwest of
168-502: Is covered principally in Greek Fir , grasses and shrubbery , and beneath 300 m mainly farmlands and suburban housing to the east. About 1,000 species of plants can be found on the mountain, including crocus and tulips , and the mountain also provides a native habitat to its red deer ( Cervus elaphus ), which were known in ancient times . After the traumatic fire in 2007 ( see below ), they are even scarcer. Several large mines lie to
192-533: Is important place for migratory birds. In general, the national park is known as the "lungs of Athens". A casino, the Mont Parnes Casino , is located near the top of the mountain and is served by a suspended cable car . Two shelters are also on Parnitha, the most known of which is Mpafi . A series of trails are found around the mountain as well as forest roads, and also on the mountain is Athens' second transmitter, broadcasting radio and television since
216-499: Is part of the municipality Oropos , of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 34.638 km . It is situated in the eastern foothills of the Parnitha mountains, 3 km southwest of Polydendri , 5 km southeast of Malakasa and 27 km north of Athens city centre. Afidnes has a station on the railway from Athens to Thessaloniki . The A1 motorway (Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki) passes east of
240-628: The A65 motorway (Ano Liosia - Aspropyrgos). It is also accessible through A6 exit 4. (The industrial area is in the southeastern part of Aspropyrgos. The Aspropyrgos railway station is served by Proastiakos trains from the Athens International Airport to Kiato (Peloponnese). Aspropyrgos has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSh ) closely bordering a hot-summer mediterranean ( Csa ) climate, with mild winters and hot summers. Owing to its location in
264-623: The Boeotians and others enemies from the north. Today some fortresses are kept in good condition such as the Phyle fortress, at a height of 687 meters in the west of Parnitha. Other notable fortresses are the Panakton , in the area of Dervenochoria and Eleutherae fortress near Mount Cithaeron . Dekeleia was also an important fortress on the site of modern-day former royal palace in Tatoi , and
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#1732765301894288-610: The Peloponnese . Parnitha mountain has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csb ) with frequent snowfalls in winter and pleasant temperatures in summer. The mountain is significantly wetter than areas of east and southern Attica. The mountain was also affected by several major blizzards, including two in 2005 and 2006, stranding cars and closing roads, as well as the cable car. Forests of Aleppo Pine cover all slopes beneath 1,000 m altitude, and are often threatened by forest fires, such as happened in 2005 and 2007. Above 1,000 m it
312-645: The Thriasio Plain the area is particularly vulnerable to high temperatures and has experienced some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in Greece and Continental Europe. In June 2007 the meteorological station of the Aspropyrgos Municipality located in the Germanika area of Aspropyrgos registered 47.5 °C. Also, in June 2017, July 2017 and August 2021, Aspropyrgos recorded temperatures of around 45 °C. Aspropyrgos consists of
336-454: The area's recovery time may be as long as a century. They predict the effect of the loss will only begin to be felt in the coming years; the air may become a little stale and the already known problems of air pollution and smog in Athens may reappear and intensify. Temperatures could also rise and flooding may become a problem for several years. The Ministry of Environment is currently considering
360-580: The city center of Athens in the Thriasio Plain . It is 5 km northeast of Elefsina , near the Saronic Gulf coast. Mount Parnitha forms its northern border, and the Aigaleo hills its southeastern border. The Elefsina Military Airbase lies to its west. The main street is Dimokratias ('Democracy') Avenue. Aspropyrgos can be accessed from the A6 motorway (Elefsina - Athens International Airport) and
384-424: The edge of Turkey , approximately 350 km away. On June 30, the fire was mostly contained and warnings of new fires were reduced, as only a few fires were slowly burning sporadically in separate parts of the mountain. The main blaze was completely put out on July 1. At the edges of the burnt parts, several fires slowly continued to burn in sections after June 30, with a slow expansion. Scientists estimate that
408-484: The fire's cause. One scenario suggests a transformer belonging to a major power line exploded due to overuse and overheating by the 47C heatwave, some days before the fire. Another holds that this was one of the many arson attacks that have claimed forested land in Greece over recent decades to illegally clear formerly-protected land for expanded real estate. *Not included the most parts of Athens urban area Aspropyrgos Aspropyrgos ( Greek : Ασπρόπυργος )
432-455: The fort of Limiko was situated deep inside the mountain, just north of its peak. A notable monument of later periods is the Monastery of Kleiston . It is a Byzantine monastery dated from 13th century. It is mentioned by Pope Innocent IV in 1209 with the name Monastery of Kyras. Southeast of Parnitha, in a dense forest, is Tatoi Palace . It was the palace of the Greek royal family and it
456-411: The mid-1950s, across the range of television channels from ERT , ANT1 , Mega , Alter and more, to satellite, including Super Sport , Seven X and Filmnet , and a multitude of radio including ERA Radio , Klik FM , ANT1 Radio , Ciao FM , Rhythmos , Super Sport FM , Top FM and others. The supporting road connection was paved in the mid-20th century. Parnitha suffered extensive damage from
480-428: The mountain area and its edges fighting the enormous blaze, which took days to contain. It spread rapidly with the help of intense winds, and intensified into the northwestern edges of Greater Athens , including both Ano Liosia and towns and villages such as Fyli , near Thrakomakedones , Pyli and both Skoura and Schimatari north of the mountain. From Athens, inhabitants could see the mountainside burning throughout
504-686: The mountains northeast of Parnitha, Penteli to the east, the Hymettus to the southeast, the Aigaleo to the south and another to the west; from its summit, one can also see the Thriasian Plain , the Saronic Gulf including the islands of Salamina , Aigina and the North , the South Euboean Gulfs and island of Euboea , and most of central and northern Greater Athens. The view during clear days can extend to northern Boeotia and
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#1732765301894528-491: The night. In Schimatari in Boeotia, it ruined several acres of forest and businesses. The fire claimed 80% of the rare Greek Fir and Aleppo Pine forest, 150 animals of the red deer population (an endangered species), birds, and other rare animals. The remains of the green firs and pines are scattered around its edges. The smoke from the massive destruction formed a line that traveled east over Attica, southern Euboea , Chios , to
552-429: The northwest, and the ore from them was shipped to a nearby factory in industrial areas. Further forest fires occurred in the summers of 2021 and 2023 leaving only northern parts of the mountain forest unburned. Parnitha has several places of archaeological interest. In antiquity, several fortresses had been built on the mountain, for the defense of the peninsula of Attica and more specifically Classical Athens against
576-403: Was built in 19th century. Today it is abandoned. Parnitha has also natural monuments. The cave of Panas is on the west slopes of the mountain at a height of 750 meters. It was a worship site in antiquity. Near the cave there is the steep gorge of Gouras and the gorge of Keladonas river. A beautiful site of the mountain is Beletsi Lake , on the east slopes of the mountain, near Afidnes , and it
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