Exploring the Area

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. when the Persian king Xerxes attempted to conquer Greece. To this day, historians speculate on how different the world might have been if Xerxes had succeeded and Greece had become merely a small part of the vast 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. The pass is the only easy route from the north into Central and Southern Greece, and if the Persians made it through the pass, Greece could be theirs. The statue of Leonidas -- the man who did most to stop the Persian advance -- marks the battlefield.

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 advancing Persian army. The 6,000 or so Greek soldiers might have succeeded in holding the narrow pass of Thermopylae had not a traitor told the Persians of a secret mountain path that allowed a party of Persians to infiltrate the pass and outflank the Greeks. Ordering the main Greek force to retreat south, Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, along with several hundred other Greek soldiers -- with the certain knowledge of immanent death -- stood and fought a critical delaying action at Thermopylae. This gave the main Greek force time to retreat south to regroup, reinforce, 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 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 the unusual honor of being buried where they fell on the battlefield. It is thought that the Thebans erected the lion to honor their warriors, perhaps waiting tactfully until after Philip's death in 316 B.C.

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 from Apollo's ardor -- 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). If you park and walk into 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 Vale 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 has formed the National Network of Tradition, Culture, and Community Life to preserve their traditions and use local crafts to boost the economy. Most streets are cobblestone and massive plane trees grow beside springs near several of the frescoed churches.

Astonishingly, this tiny village produced most of the red cotton thread used throughout Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, with offices in far-off London and Vienna. Today, little survives of Ambelakia's earlier wealth, but two museum houses give a glimpse of past glories. The handsome late-18th-century Schwartz House was built by the Schwartz brothers, two of Ambelakia's wealthiest merchants, who 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 well cared for. Allow an hour for the guided tour of the house. (Its somewhat flexible hours are usually Tues-Sat 9am-3pm, Sun 9am-2:30pm; admission is 3€.) If you want to visit another restored mansion, take in the Folk Art and Historic Museum in the 19th-century Mola mansion (tel. 24950/93-090; usually open Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4:30pm; admission 3€). Dioramas recreate scenes of family life and photographs and frescoes show how generations of Ambelakians have lived. Again, this is a pleasant spot to spend an hour.

It's a good idea to make an advance reservation at the Nine Muses Hotel (also listed as Ennea Musses and Nine Mouses; tel. 24950/ 93-405; h9mouses@hotmail.com), which has 12 rooms from 60€. The small chalet-style hotel just off the main plateia is deservedly popular with visitors, and in summer all the rooms are often taken by Greek families. The Nine Muses has great views over Ambelakia and the surrounding countryside, which includes Mount Olympos; the proprietors, Georgios Machmoudies and son Kostas, are both very helpful. The 16-room Kotel Kouria (tel. 24950/93-33; www.hotelkouria.gr), built on the outskirts of town in 2006, also has wonderful views of the countryside and large, comfortable rooms, but lacks local atmosphere; rooms from 85€. Both hotels serve breakfast and the Kouria has a restaurant and Internet service. Both hotels can be either blissfully quiet or quite noisy; the Kouria is a popular venue for wedding and baptisms receptions, and the Nine Muses is flanked by tavernas.