08/08/2025
This is Orlias gully, a water paradise on the slopes of Olympus… Being one of the most ancient streams in Pieria and of particular importance to Olympus, Orlias in ancient times was a river and was originally called Helikon before it became associated with the main representative of the art of singing and the lyre, Orpheus. According to the legend, the Pierid Muses lived in Helikon, singing and dancing near their father, Zeus. Orpheus, who went down in history for his great love affair with Eurydice, met a horrible death at the hands of the Pierid Muses in the Helikon River at the point where he is lost in the bowels of the earth. According to Pausanias, the Muses, repentant for the heinous crime they committed, immediately rushed to the waters of the river Helikon to purify themselves. But the river god refused to purify them and you disappeared under the surface of the earth to reappear a little further away under the name of Vaphyras or Orlias, at the point where it also forms the waterfalls near Dion, continuing its course until its mouth in the sea. The river took the name Vaphyras, that is, dyed with blood, or Orlias from the cry of agony of the undead Orpheus. 📍Orlias’ gully is in a very short distance from Hotel Filoxenia and extremely easy to approach. Starting from Dion, the holy city of the Macedonians, continue in the direction of Mount Olympus, on whose slopes some say one can hear the song of the Muses. Follow the sign that leads to the shelter of Koromilia and then the signs for Olympos. After a walk of about 4 kilometers you will come across the chapel ⛪️ of Saints Constantine and Helen with its beautifully landscaped surroundings, where you can leave your car 🚗 🇬🇷 #ορλιάς
