Eternal Greece offers visitors not only fascinating white sand beaches, turquoise waters cruises on three big (Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian), tasty Mediterranean cuisine, but also many other attractions including: castles, mountains and shelters of the gods , monasteries and water parks.
An important landmark of Greece is the small resort town Platamon (Platamonas) – 2,000 inhabitants, located on the Aegean coast, 25 km from Mount Olympus, at the south-east of it.
The town, whose name means “long beach” is considered one of the most important tourist destinations in Pieria, thanks accommodation and cheap and quality services, and due to its location, being close to the towns of Katerini and Larissa at 38 and 49 km respectively.
After the fall of Constantinople during the 4th Crusade in 1204, Platamon came under the jurisdiction of Boniface of Montferrat, king of Thessaloniki who gave it to the Lombard knight Rolando Piska. He is the one who rebuilt the castle on top of the old ruined construction.
The castle can be visited all year round, entrance ticket costing around 3€.
The castle soon became Byzantine again. In 1218, it was captured by the despot of Epirus Theodoros Aggelos and after the battle of Pelagonia (1259), by Michail Paleologos of Nikea who later became the Byzantine emperor.
The Turks captured the castle in 1385 and paid much attention to its maintenance because they needed the castle to control the strategically important area. After a short break between 1425 and 1427, when the Venetians managed to conquer the castle, the Turks returned and stayed until the beginning of the 20th century.
During World War II, in April 1941, a unit of New Zealanders tried to defend Platamon but forced to leave after the bombardment of the castle by the Germans
The resort welcomes you with numerous restaurants and cafes, but is distinguished by the famous Byzantine Castle, built in the X century, between 1204 and 1222, the place where, according to early historical sources, is the ancient town of Heraklion.
The famous city of Platamonas is represented by a high castle crusader in a strategic position, leaving the Tembi Valley (Tempe), through which the main road leading from Macedonia to Thessaly and further to southern Greece.
Most of the Platamonas castle was built by the French king of Thessaloniki, Boniface of Momferatikos, in 1205 over a pre-existing Byzantine castle, as evidenced by parts of the walls dating from the sixth century, the Ninth and tenth.
The castle is first mentioned in texts dating from the thirteenth century, when the Frankish rulers Thessaloniki made extensive repairs to its defense. Renovations of the castle were made and Byzantine rulers of XIV century, and the Venetians in XV century.
After the fall of Constantinople, after the 4th Crusade in 1204, Momferatikos Boniface, who captured Thessaly, gave the castle of King Roland PISKE. He gave him the form that we see today. Shortly afterwards, the fortress – castle was retaken by the Byzantines, and then again by the Turks in 1470, who repaired and fortified it. Castle in Platamonas played an important role during the Turkish occupation, especially in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Archaeological evidence shows also that it was used by the Christians but that was reduced in the nineteenth century plague that swept Europe. Since then, the castle is inhabited.
Currently, the Castle of Platamonas is where every summer organizes a part of a series of cultural and artistic events of the Olympic Festival: theater, concerts, exhibitions, fairs and other activities in the field of visual arts.