Happy TravellerWelcome to Katerini, a beautiful city located in the Pieria regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece. Situated between the majestic Mount Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, Katerini is a popular tourist destination that offers a perfect blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. With a population of 80,700, Katerini is the second most populous urban area in the region of Macedonia after Thessaloniki. The city is easily accessible from the main Thessaloniki–Athens highway GR-1/E75 and the Egnatia Odos to the north. It is served by Intercity, Proastiakos (Suburban Railway) and local trains on the main railway line from Athens to Thessaloniki and there is a comprehensive regional and national bus service with its hub in the city.
Katerini is surrounded by several archaeological sites of great interest such as the ancient city of Dion (5th century BC, 17 km away), the ancient Leivithra (27 km away), ancient Pydna (16km away) and the Castle of Platamon. The beaches of Korinos, Paralia and Olympiaki Akti (or Katerinoskala) are visited by both Greek and foreign tourists during the summer. The base of Mount Olympus and the town of Litochoro, are at a distance of around 20 km from the centre of Katerini, whereas there is the Ski center of Elatochori in Mount Pieria at a distance of 33.4 km from the city’s centre.
The origin of the name Katerini is obscure. Since the 13th century, travellers as well as maps record the existence of a settlement called Hatera (Ἅτηρα), which may have been the origin of the modern name. According to another theory, the city derives its name from the small chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine (Aikaterini in Greek) to the east of the city, dating to at least the early 19th century. The latter hypothesis influenced official usage in Greek, where the city is found as Aikaterini or Agia Aikaterini until the early 20th century, when the vernacular name Katerini prevailed.
Katerini is a great place to taste the local delicacies. The city is located near several villages which are renowned for their high-quality products. In particular, kiwis and cherries are one of the more important productions in the region, as well as strawberries. There is also cultivation of tobacco in the region and lot of people spend considerable resources for its development and for exports of the product.
Katerini is the administrative and economic centre of Pieria. The Chamber of commerce and industry of Pieria is based in Katerini. The same applies for the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Pieria and the Union of hotel owners of Pieria. Katerini lies in the middle of a plain and thus, it is greatly an agricultural city. As of 2000, 26,775 people were occupied in agriculture, in Pieria. The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Pieria has 9,000 members, of which 2,000 grow tobacco. Kiwifruit is also produced in Katerini.
Katerini is a popular tourist destination, that attracts tourist both from Greece and abroad. Within the boundaries of the municipality, there are over 230 hotels that can accommodate more than 8,600 people. The vast majority of the tourist infrastructure lie in Paralia and Olympiaki Akti, where between them there is a bicycle lane, and it also includes tens of tavernas and cafes. Winter tourism has started developing in the area, since the construction of the Elatochori ski resort. Katerini is surrounded by ancient archaeological sites as Dion, Leivithra, Pydna, Louloudies and Platamon Castle which are worth a visit. Olympus Festival is an annual festival of music and theatre major cultural event, taking place at several venues such as the Hellenistic theatre of Dion, organized by the Organization of Festival Olympou (OR.FE.O).
Katerini is well-connected by local transport, road transport, and rail links. The national bus service is from the Katerini long-distance bus station of coach KTEL. The local bus lines serve the connection between Katerini and its nearby settlements. The bus hub is in Katerini and it has lines towards Moschochori, Paralia, Olympiaki Akti, Dion, Pieria, Aronas and Nea Trapezounta. These lines serve all the settlements that lie between Katerini and the aforementioned final destinations. Katerini railway station is located just outside the city centre. The main line of the Greek railway system that connects Athens with Thessaloniki passes through Katerini. As a result, the city is connected directly with Larisa and Thessaloniki via the Proastiakos. It is also connected with Athens and all the intermediate stations by Intercity train lines.
Katerini is home to a significant Aromanian population that exceeds 3,000 people. Aromanians of Katerini mainly descend from nearby Aromanian settlements of Livadi and Kokkinopilos, and in lesser numbers from Samarina, Moscopole, Avdella, Perivoli and Smixi. According to some sources, the Aromanians formed a majority amongst the city’s Christian population in the beginning of the 20th century. As of 2001, the Municipal unit of Katerini (then Municipality of Katerini) was home to 2,794 foreign nationals (4.
