Side Trips

Two Famous Battlefields: Thermopylae & Chaironeia

Both these battlefields lie beside main highways and are easily visited with a brief stop. A seasonal kantina (snack shop) is sometimes open at both battlefields.

Thermopylae -- 194km (120 miles) N of Athens on the Athens-Thessaloniki National Hwy.

One of the most famous battles in history was fought at Thermopylae in 480 B.C. during the Persian king Xerxes's attempt to conquer Greece. To this day, historians speculate on how different the world might have been if Xerxes had succeeded and Greece had become part of the Persian Empire. If you find yourself on the Athens-Thessaloniki Highway, keep an eye out for the larger-than-life statue of the Spartan king Leonidas, about halfway through the 6.4km-long (4-mile) Pass of Thermopylae that snakes between the mountains and the sea.

When Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 B.C. with about 100,000 men, soldiers from almost every city-state in south and Central Greece rushed to Thermopylae to try to stop the Persian king. The Greeks might have succeeded in holding the narrow pass of Thermopylae had not a traitor told the Persians of a secret mountain path that allowed them to take control of the pass. As Leonidas and his 300-man royal guard stood and fought at Thermopylae, the main Greek force retreated south to regroup and fight another day. When the fighting at Thermopylae was over, Leonidas and his men lay dead, but the Spartan king had earned immortal fame for his heroism. In 2007 the story was retold in the Hollywood summer hit 300.

The name Thermopylae (Hot Gates) refers to the warm springs that bubbled here in antiquity, when the pass was considerably narrower than it currently is, now that centuries of silt have built up the seashore. Many of Thermopylae's springs have been partly diverted to spas, such as Kamena Vourla. Unfortunately, overdevelopment has seriously undercut the former charm of the nearby seaside towns. If you want a quick look at some of the springs, look for plumes of smoke after you park near the statue of Leonidas. If you don't see plumes, follow your nose: The smell of sulfur is strong.

Chaironeia -- 132km (81 miles) NW of Athens on the Athens-Levadhia-Lamia Hwy.

Just north of Levadhia, the Athens-Lamia Highway passes an enormous stone lion that marks the site of the common grave of the Theban Sacred Band of warriors, who died here in the Battle of Chaironeia in 338 B.C. It was at Chaironeia that Philip of Macedon, with some 30,000 soldiers, defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes and became the most powerful leader in Greece. It was also at Chaironeia that Philip's 18-year-old son Alexander first distinguished himself on the battlefield, when he led the attack against the superbly trained Theban Sacred Band, which fought to the last man. Philip's admiration for the Thebans' courage was such that he allowed them to be buried where they fell on the battlefield.

The stone lion itself, sitting on its haunches with a surprisingly benign expression on its face, was probably erected by Thebes sometime after the battle. With the passing of time, the winds blew soil from the plain almost entirely over the lion. In 1818, two English antiquarians stumbled upon the lion's head; from 1902 to 1904 the Greek Archaeological Service conducted excavations on the battlefield and restored the lion here on the dusty plain of Chaironeia. The small site museum keeps irregular hours.

The Vale of Tempe & Ambelakia

326km (202 miles) N of Athens; 27km (16 miles) N of Larissa

The Vale of Tempe, a steep-sided 8km (5-mile) gorge between mounts Olympus and Ossa, has been famous since antiquity as a beauty spot. According to legend, this is where Apollo caught a glimpse of the lovely maiden Daphne bathing in the Peneios River. When Apollo pursued Daphne, she cried out to the gods on nearby Olympus to save her -- which they did, by turning her into a laurel tree (daphne in Greek). Apollo, who didn't give up easily, plucked a branch from the tree and planted it at his shrine at Delphi. Thereafter, messengers from Delphi came to the Vale of Tempe every 9 years to collect laurel for Apollo's temple.

To this day, laurel, chestnut, and plane trees grow in the Vale of Tempe. Unfortunately, since virtually all north-south traffic in Greece now passes through the Vale, this is no longer the sylvan spot once the haunt of nightingales. The narrow approaches to the Vale have caused many serious road accidents. Still, if you're lucky enough to be here off season, the sound of the gurgling river may be louder than tourists' footsteps on the suspension bridge over the gorge. River rafting is becoming popular here; for information contact Olympos Trekking (oltrek@ote.net.gr). The car toll is 3€ ($3.90). If you park and walk through the Vale, allow at least an hour for your visit.

Keep an eye out for two medieval fortresses here: The remains of Kastro tis Oreas (Castle of the Beautiful Maiden) are on the cliffs inside the Vale; and Platamonas Kastro is at the northern end of the pass. Unfortunately, you won't have any trouble spotting the souvenir stands throughout the Vale. There is also a small chapel deep in the gorge.

If you want a break from the hustle and bustle of popular tourist destinations such as the Vale of Tempe, take a detour to the mountaintop village of Ambelakia, about 6km (4 miles) southeast of the Valem perched amid old oak trees on Mount Kissavos. If you spend an hour or two here -- better yet, a night or two -- you can experience village Greece, inhale the crisp, clean mountain air, and enjoy the spectacular views of Mount Olympus. Ambelakia, whose name means "vineyards" in Greek, is one of six villages in Greece that formed the National Network of Tradition, Culture, and Community Life to preserve their traditions and use local crafts to boost the economy.

Astonishingly, this tiny village was an important center of cotton and silk production in the 17th century, with offices in far-off London. Today, little survives of Ambelakia's earlier wealth, but what does remain is well worth a visit: the handsome late-18th-century Schwartz House. (Its somewhat unpredictable hours are usually Tues-Sat 9am-3pm, Sun 9am-2:30pm; admission is 3€/$3.90; no phone.) The Schwartz brothers, two of Ambelakia's wealthiest merchants, lived and worked in Austria, hence the name "Schwartz," a translation of their Greek name "Mavros." Their handsome wooden house, with its overhanging balconies and elaborately frescoed interiors, is an absolute delight -- and it is a great satisfaction to see it so carefully restored and cared for. Allow an hour for the guided tour of the house.

It's a good idea to call ahead to the Nine Muses Hotel (Ennea Mousses on some signs; tel. 24950/93-405; h9mouses@hotmail.com), which has 12 rooms from 50€ ($65). The small chalet-style hotel is not always open off season, while in summer all the rooms are often taken by Greek families. Several small restaurants on the main square serve simple grills and salads, including To Rodi, run by the Women's Agrotourism Cooperative, which also has "rent rooms."