Byzantine Castle of Platamon
The imposing medieval fortification on a rocky headland between Olympus and the Aegean, with a polygonal wall, eight towers and an acropolis.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The castle of Platamon rises on a rocky headland where Olympus meets the sea, and is one of the finest in Greece. It was built in an exceptionally strategic position, beyond Tempi and on the route to Macedonia, in the area where the ancient town of Herakleion is believed to have stood.
The castle consists of a polygonal wall with battlements and a walkway, reinforced with eight rectangular towers. The gate lies in the middle of the southern side and is formed by a system of double entrances, beneath the shadow of a strong tower. On the south-western side, where the ground rises steeply, lies the acropolis, protected by a separate wall and with an octagonal tower more than 20 metres high.
During Latin rule the castle was granted as a fief to the nobleman Rolando Piskia by Boniface of Montferrat. In the 13th century Byzantine authority was restored by Theodore Komnenos Doukas. In the 14th century the castle was taken by the Ottomans; in the 15th century the Venetians briefly seized it, and shortly afterwards it passed definitively to the Ottomans, who held it until the liberation of Macedonia in the 20th century.
Highlights
- Polygonal wall with eight rectangular towers
- Acropolis with an octagonal tower more than 20 metres high
- Double entrance on the south side
- View of Olympus and the Aegean
- Operated by
- Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού – Εφορεία Αρχαιοτήτων Πιερίας
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5 |
Free admission: 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and each first and third Sunday of the month from 1 November to 31 March
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The site is about 10 minutes on foot from the village of Nea Pantelimonas. By car, it takes 25 minutes from Katerini and 1 hour and 30 minutes from Thessaloniki.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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