The modern Greek village of Dion is located near the northeastern foot of Mount Olympus, the highest peak in Greece and the supposed home of the 12 Olympian gods of ancient Greece. At the eastern edge of the village is an archaeological park which preserves the ruins of the ancient city of Dion.
Dion does not seem to have been a very old city, but it was mentioned in Thucydides’s account of the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BCE. Due to its proximity to the home of the gods, many sanctuaries and other religious structures were built there, and in the 4th century BCE it took on the role of being the holy city of Macedonia. The rulers of the Kingdom of Macedon would go there to offer sacrifices to the gods, including Alexander the Great, who made a sacrifice to Zeus there before setting off on his campaign to conquer the East.
One of the best-preserved (which admittedly isn’t saying much) sanctuaries at the site today is the one dedicated to Demeter. There were several temples here, the oldest of which are among the oldest in Macedonia.
At the southern end of the site is a large theater which dates to the Hellenistic period, but there is a tradition that there was an older version of the theater on the spot in Classical times, and that it was there that Euripides put on the plays he wrote during his alleged retirement in Macedonia, including his famous Bacchae. The theater was near the a small bath complex.
Just south of the baths is a newer theater dating to Roman times. In between are traces of the important sanctuary of Zeus, the location of which was only discovered in 2000.
There was a larger bath complex in the center of the city, and in front of it was an odeon.
The main avenue of the city is still well preserved and is used today as the main path through the center of the northern half of the site.
There are several structures alongside the avenue, including what appear to have been shopfronts.
Just off the avenue toward the northern end of the site is an extensive villa which has been dubbed the “Villa of Dionysos” as it had a mosaic and statue depicting the god.
There are paths at the edges of the archaeological park which run alongside what is left of some of the inner walls which formed the perimeter of the ancient city.
Tips for the Visitor
Getting to Dion is not easy without your own transportation. If you’re staying in Thessaloniki, the easiest way to see the site is probably to book a guided tour which includes a stop at the Dion Archaeological Park as part of its itinerary. There are several companies that run them.
For a rockpile aficionado, a thorough exploration of the archaeological park could easily last a few hours, not only due to the number of buildings but also the sheer size of the site and thus the amount of ground needed to be covered to see everything. The above-mentioned guided tours will typically give you an hour and a half, which is enough to see everything if you don’t linger at too many attractions.
There is also an archaeological museum in the town — about a half kilometer west of the site — which has some finds from Dion and other sites on display.
If you are interested in exploring some of the hiking trails around the foothills of Mount Olympus, there are places nearby where you can do so at any level of intensity. Many of the above-mentioned organized tours combine such opportunities with their visits to Dion. The best place to see and explore the mountain is from the town of Litochoro, which is about a 10-km drive south of Dion and has great views of the mountain and access to some of the trails heading up its eastern slope. There is also an information center with informative displays about Olympus National Park just outside of town.
Location Map