Greece is an ancient country and is replete with not only beautiful purely visually, but also historically remarkable places. One of them is Parnassus, a mountain that has not lost its significance until now, although it has changed its role in the life of Greece.
Why the mountain is called Parnassus
The etymology of one of the greatest Greek sights is very interesting. Disputes between scientists have not subsided so far. The overwhelming majority of them believe that the mountain got the name “Parnassus” back in the pre-Greek era and has Hittite roots. In the language of this people, the word "parna" meant "home, refuge, comfort." However, some researchers insist that the mountain got its name from the Greek word Παρνόπιος. You can translate it as “locust” - this is one of Apollo's nicknames: his statues were placed in places suffering from the attack of these insects, in the hope that God would protect the crops.
Historical attraction
At one time, Mount Parnassus was considered a favorite peak of the gods, which they visited for relaxation and from where it was possible to turn to one of the inhabitants of Olympus with the highest probability of an answer. The ancient Greeks called this place the navel (center) of the Earth. On its slopes was located (and to a certain extent has been preserved to this day) the world famous Delphic sanctuary, in which the oracle of Apollo, the Pythia, was received. A miraculous spring is located here, and at the foot of the Delphic Games sung by ancient Greek authors . Moreover, when Zeus was angry and decided to flood the earth to destroy humanity, Deucalion, the son of Apollo, built a ship on the advice of his father (an analogy with Noah is visible, though, except for Deucalion, only his wife was on board) and after ten days of travel he docked to the top Parnassus. The sacrifices made to Zeus appeased God, and the human race was reborn.
Parnassus is a mountain that has long been considered the refuge of muses and the inspirer of poets, even after the extinction of Hellenic culture. With its mention, the study of ancient Greek schools began until the 19th century.
The modern value of Parnassus
To begin with, we note that they are now considered not a separate peak, but the entire chain to which it belongs. In modernity, Parnassus is a mountain on which the National Park covers an area of 3.5 thousand hectares. In Greece, it is the largest and oldest, with a rich collection of fauna and flora.
Since 1976, Mount Parnassus has also been an attractive ski resort. It is named similarly to its location and is the most extensive and best equipped in Greece. The ski season is open from early December to mid-April. Trass ski center offers twenty. Of these, 20% are complex, the overcoming of which is not even possible for some professionals, and the rest are approximately equally divided into light, for beginners, and medium - for experienced skiers. It is curious that the prices for the day of skiing are quite affordable: for an adult - 15 euros, for children 5-17 years old - 14, and for old people and kids - even one euro.
A feature of the resort is the absence of hotels on it. This nuance in some ways makes it even more attractive: for the night people go to the historically and aesthetically attractive Delphi or the very curious resort village of Arakhova, which is famous for its hand-made carpets and exclusive cheeses and wines, in addition to the vibrant nightlife and cuisine for all tastes.
Where is Mount Parnassus
The current reference point is the resort of the same name, which is very popular among residents of the capital: it is only 150 kilometers away from Athens. In general, Mount Parnassus in Greece lies on the northern coast of the Gulf of Corinth and plays the role of a natural border between Lokrida, Phocis and Boeotia. Geographically, this mountain range belongs to central Greece.
An amusing geographical fact can be considered that Parnassus Mountain exists also near St. Petersburg. And there are two of them in this area. One since 1755 has been located in Tsarskoye Selo (Alexander Park), and the second - on the Pargolovskaya Manor, where Shuvalovsky Park is located. Even the metro station near the St. Petersburg version of the Greek mountain is called Parnassus. Despite the fact that they are by no means in Greece, they are tourist sites and are visited by visitors from all over the world.