From Larissa, on clear days, two mountains close the horizon to the north and east. One is Olympus. The other, closer and rounder, is Kissavos, which the ancients called Ossa. For the people of Larissa it is their own mountain: they go there for chestnuts, for cool air, for snow.
A mountain between plain and sea
Kissavos rises in the north-east of the Larissa prefecture, south of Tempi and the Pineios. Geologically it is a continuation of Olympus, separated from it by the Vale of Tempi. Its summit, Profitis Ilias, stands at 1,978 metres.
What makes it special is that it faces three ways. To the west it looks over the Larissa plain, to the south over the plain of Agia, to the east over the sea, where its slopes form small coves. A valley cuts it in two: in the north it is called the "Great Gorge", in the south the "Great Stream".
Beech, chestnut, fir
Kissavos has earned the nickname "botanical garden". Low down grow holm oak, strawberry tree, Judas tree, thyme and oregano. Higher up come the oaks, chestnuts, maples and limes. From 500 to 1,600 metres, on the northern and eastern slopes, the beech dominates, alone or mixed with fir.
An area of 16,900 hectares in the north-east has been declared an aesthetic forest, one of 19 in Greece, and belongs to the Natura 2000 network. In the north the chestnut groves produce almost nothing but chestnuts. That is why the chestnut festivals take place here in October and November.
Its villages
Around Kissavos lie Agia, Stomio, Sykourio, Ampelakia, Karitsa, Melivoia, Metaxochori, Megalovrysso, Anatoli, Kokkino Nero, Omolio and Spilia. On the eastern side, near Stomio, stands the Byzantine Komnineio Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Agios Dimitrios.
Olympus and Kissavos quarrel
In the well-known klephtic song, the two mountains argue over which will bring rain and which snow. The French folklorist Fauriel considered it the best klephtic song in his collection. For the fighters of 1821, Kissavos was a hideout.
How to climb it
At Kanalos, at 1,605 metres, there is a mountain refuge with 46 beds and a kitchen. It is the best starting point for the summit. In autumn check the weather before setting off, because conditions on the mountain change quickly.
