Elatochori, Pieria: The abandonment of a once popular destination

Elatochori, Pieria is a mountainous settlement consisting of Old Elatochori, New Elatochori, and the Elatochori ski centre.

It belongs to the municipal unit of Pieries within the Katerini Municipality and serves as a mountain base for both Katerini residents and tourists who come from all over Greece for a few days of relaxation, combining the fresh mountain air with activities at the ski centre.

Together with Ritini and Vria, they form the three settlements of the municipal unit of Pieries.

Elatochori is an ideal destination all year round, combining the harmony of nature within a very short and easy journey.

It is less than 30 minutes from the city of Katerini, and the road, although with many turns, is in very good condition.

Pieria Mountains

The Pieria Mountains, where Elatochori is located, are the natural continuation of Mount Olympus – a mountain with wild and rich vegetation, as well as dozens of mountain refuges.

From the Pieria Mountains and Elatochori, weather permitting, you have an unrestricted view of Mount Olympus.

 

Sights in Elatochori

In both settlements of Elatochori (Old and New), there are a few sights and buildings you can visit.

In the square of New Elatochori, you will find the Church of Constantine & Helen, while in Old Elatochori, the Church of Agios Nikolaos, which has survived since 1779, dominates the area!

Generally, apart from a few tavernas and a small shop with traditional items in Old Elatochori, you unfortunately won't find any other shops or attractions to spend your day.

A Picture of Abandonment

Elatochori left us with a feeling of sadness and disappointment, as a place with rich natural beauty has been left to neglect and abandonment.

Most shops are abandoned, and the active establishments are very few.

Even the quality of the establishments, the tavernas in Old and New Elatochori, was unfortunately below average (a detailed review of everything we visited will follow at the end of the article).

As you will see in the following photos, shops that were once full of life are now derelict and empty.

We were also very negatively impressed that on a Saturday evening, we were looking for a café-bar to sit in, and there was nothing, apart from one establishment on the road towards the ski centre (immediately after the village).

Speaking with local residents and business owners, they unfortunately confirmed the fact of abandonment, which has been ongoing for recent years.

Now people either come for a day trip to the ski centre or during holidays, when both settlements are flooded with visitors.

 

 

Elatochori Ski Centre

The ski centre in Elatochori is located at an altitude of 1450m and is one of the newer ski resorts in Greece.

It boasts excellent facilities and can cater to everyone from absolute beginners with special ski & snowboard lessons to advanced skiers who can tackle the 'Clio' – the ski centre's red piste, 1,700m long with a gradient of up to 42%!

The ski centre is 8 kilometres from Elatochori and just 35 kilometres from the centre of Katerini – which is why it's a popular destination even for day trips for residents of Katerini and the surrounding areas.

At the ski centre, you can also find sledges and snow rides (snow bikes) to enjoy your time!

At the base of the centre, you will find a two-storey chalet that offers everything you need: from hot beverages with a view of the white mountain and skiers slaloming, to food and snacks!

The chalet has both heated indoor spaces and outdoor seating and sun loungers, for the adventurous!

Finally, at the base of the ski centre next to the chalet, you can rent ski & snowboard equipment, as well as buy souvenir T-shirts, to always remember your day at the Elatochori ski centre!

Dining in Elatochori

Arriving at a traditional, touristically developed settlement, one would expect the food to be special and unique.

Unfortunately, the impression it left us with was – very much – below average.

Arriving on the first evening, a Friday, all the shops were empty and the streets of both settlements were the same – a picture of great abandonment!

We visited a taverna in Old Elatochori and unfortunately came away with the worst impressions.

The place was cold (probably for economy reasons, only the fireplace was lit!), and the food gave us heartburn for the entire evening.

Finally, for dessert, we were served a completely stale 'kormos' (chocolate log)!

The next day (Saturday lunchtime), we visited a taverna in the new settlement where the food was much better (luckily it had spit-roasted meat..).

Here, the only negative was the state of the service (we mentioned twice in the order that the salad should not have walnuts due to an allergy, and of course the salad came with walnuts – to his credit, the owner changed it immediately), as well as the fact that a receipt was a rarity (naturally, there was no receipt the previous day either).

 

The issue of the receipt and why we insist on it

Regarding the issue of the receipt and why we insist on it, it's because when you are NOT given a receipt, they are not only cheating the state, but also YOU! This happens because they charge you VAT, then they pocket it and also benefit from taxation (due to undeclared income from not issuing a receipt).

We would stand with every professional if, when they didn't issue a receipt, they did NOT charge VAT to the customer. We know that the state squeezes businesses firsthand, but you can't cheat your customer!

Not issuing a receipt? Then remove 100% of the VAT from your customer's bill.

This digression ends here, and we wish all tax rates were normal, and everyone issued receipts and paid taxes correctly, but unfortunately in Greece, you are forced to pay 90% (!) of your income in taxes!

 

Hotels in Elatochori 

In Elatochori, you will find several hotels in both settlements, as well as a little further out, on the road towards the ski centre.

So as not to unfairly omit any guesthouse, we will only write about the hotel we visited, which was the Semeli hotel.

It is located on the road to the ski centre, approximately 2 kilometres from the centre of Elatochori.

Semeli Resort is one of the largest hotel complexes in Elatochori, Pieria, and offers everything a visitor could want for rest and rejuvenation!

The rooms at Hotel Semeli have a fireplace, and some even have a jacuzzi.

The interiors feature a unique decoration that is not easily found in other hotel complexes.

Hotel Semeli has a large lounge area with a fireplace in the middle, where you can very pleasantly enjoy your drink (as you won't find any café in the village anyway..).

Breakfast was plentiful with choices for all tastes, and the breakfast room offers an amazing view of the Pieria Mountains.

The people we met who run the hotel were also very friendly and helpful.

We highly recommend it for your next overnight stay in Elatochori!

 

In Summary

Elatochori offers everything you need if your main purpose for the trip is skiing or absolute relaxation between your room and a stroll around the village!

Unfortunately, you won't find many shops (almost no café-bars), and anything you need for basic necessities like water, you'll have to bring with you, as there isn't even a mini-market in Elatochori (there was a kiosk in New Elatochori, but that too was abandoned).

However, there is an active pharmacy (2019) if you need anything.

If you bear in mind that you won't be able to do much beyond walking and eating, then Elatochori is a very good destination.

If you are a lover of skiing or mountain adventure, the Elatochori ski centre is fully equipped and can assist you with anything you need.

We also recommend taking a stroll through neighbouring villages like Ritini and even discovering the dozens of mountain trails for hiking.

 

[ Useful Links ]

Hotels in Elatochori

Elatochori Ski Centre

[Car rental without a credit card to visit Elatochori]