Skiing in Greece
Dateline: 11/28/97Wandering through the charming village of Delphi, we stopped at a pizza parlor which has its dining area on the west side of the single street, its kitchen on the right side. We were the only diners nibbling at a delicious pizza and enjoying carafes of local wine. Commiserating with the friendly waiter, we commented on how quiet it was this late in the season. To our surprise, he was relieved. "It's fine with me, I need the rest. In a few weeks, our second season begins."
"What second season? Christmas?" I asked, wondering if there were a particularly luminous local festival bringing visitors and tourists, or if the savvy Delphi merchants had developed a special shopping season.
He looked at me as if I were crazy. Maybe I was - it was the end of the trip, and just maybe I should have made the connection between gorgeous mountains and the occasional postcard of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi covered with incongruous snow. D-uh. The SKI SEASON!
"In winter, people come here to ski," he said simply, looking like he was hoping I would finally understand what I had failed to grasp from the magnificent mountains and from the beautiful woven sweaters hanging in the shop windows.
As is obvious by now, I'm not (yet!) a skier, and I'd like to invite my readers to share with me their own experiences on the slopes of Greece. Here are some links to the information you need to start planning a Hellenic skiing holiday.
The Oreivatein (Mountaineering) Home Page
From Oreivatein, this site can be slow to load, but it's loaded with information gathered by those who love the mountains of Greece.
The following excellent sites are all from Cybex:
Snowboarding
An outstanding look at the history, famous snowboarders, and great places to snowboard in Greece. Also note a clickable snow conditions map.
Velouchi Ski Area
An introduction to this ski resort.
Macedonia Region Ski Slopes
A look at the numerous resorts in Macedonia.
Mount Parnassos Map
Ski slopes of Mt Parnassos - names are in Greek, but the map is detailed - check it out if you're considering a ski trip here.
