Dion - Platamonas Castle - Old Panteleimonas
The next ancient Macedonian city worth including in a day trip is Dion, 15 km after Katerini. The first mention of the city was found in Thucydides in 424 BC and subsequently it became a place of worship of the Macedonian gods. In Dion Philip celebrated the fall of Olynthos and here Alexander performed sacrifices before the Persian campaign. The ancient city was surrounded by a wall and had an urban planning system with two intensifying avenues and a dense network of streets. It is also worth seeing the baths, the sanctuary of Demeter.
The city had a system of vertically intensifying streets, which were paved in the imperial years. In the southern part of the city were the public baths, the Great Baths, which date from 200 AD. Next to it is the Conservatory and in the eastern sector the impressive Dionysus Palace, with its mosaics. In the center of the city is the episcopal basilica of the 4th century AD and outside the walls the cemetery basilica of the 5th century. Various sanctuaries exist and are preserved in Dion, with the most important being those of the goddess Demeter (the oldest Macedonian sanctuary) and Isis, the Hellenistic theater (built by Philip V) and part of the stadium where the Olympia nudist games were held. Only the theater of the Hellenistic years is preserved. But there was also theater in classical times.
Castle of Platamon
The castle is built on the site of ancient Heraklion (or Heraklia). In the Periplo of Pseudo-Skylakas (4th century BC), it is mentioned as "the first city of Macedonia, Heraklion". Recent excavations have brought to light pottery of Euboean, Proto-Corinthian origin, as well as period from Eastern Greece, which show the presence of Greeks perhaps from the 8th century. B.C.[4}The place name Platamonas is mentioned for the first time in 1198 in a gold bullion of the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos I
Paleos Panteleimonas (village)
Perched on the slopes of Mount Olympus, it offers an incredible view of Thermaikos and the coast of Pieria. The central square with its plane trees, the old church of Agios Panteleimon and the old school is where most people gather to enjoy the view and have lunch in the many traditional taverns. Beautiful shops with souvenirs, folk art items, decorations, gifts and jewelry are scattered on its cobblestone streets, while abandoned houses of continental architecture and mansions are constantly restored and turned into residences as well as guest houses.
