There are those who wait patiently for the winter to pass by so they can start their summer vacation somewhere close to the sea. The truth is that the vast majority of people belong to this category, as in the eternal question between sea or mountain, most people choose sea.
On the other hand, there are those who (to the surprise of many) prefer the mountain over the sea. They prove it at every opportunity, as they prefer whether it be a holiday or a day trip. In fact, almost all of them are fans of winter sports, especially skiing and snowboarding.
So, here’s a look at the 4 best ski resorts near Thessaloniki:
3-5 Pigadia Ski Center
3-5 Pigadia Ski Center is located in the west side of Mount Vermio and has an altitude ranging from 1,430 to 2,005 meters. Of course, apart from the winter sports that someone can try there, the ski center offers several other activities, including hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking and paragliding. In addition, 3-5 Pigadia has a total of 5 ski slopes, varying in difficulty so that all visitors find what suits them, while the artificial snow system ensures excellent snow quality throughout the winter season. All of the above have transformed 3-5 Pigadia Ski Center into the attraction of many sports clubs and even national teams.
Seli Ski Center
Seli Ski Center is the first organized ski center to open in Greece and has been operating since 1934, the year in which the first Greek skiing events were organized. Situated at an altitude of 1,530 meters, it is 95 km away from Thessaloniki and 24 km away from Veria. It has comfortable parking spaces of 36 acres, many and modern lifts for comfortable and fast skiers service and a wide variety of ski slopes (17 in total), playgrounds and hiking trails.
Elatochori Ski Center
Elatochori Ski Center is located in the northeast side of the Pieria Mountains and more specifically it the location “Papa Horafi” at an altitude of 1,450 m and offers spectacular views of the Mount Olympus and the Aliakmonas River. Its facilities are just 8 km away from Elatochori village, 36 km away from Katerini and 105 km away from Thessaloniki. It operated for the first time in 2001 and has been gathering a large number of ski and snow friends since then. There is a guest lounge, “chalet”, 600 sq.m. approximately, 10 ski slopes with varying altitude difference and degree of difficulty, 700m long sliding lift at 1,800m altitude and baby lifts.
Kaimaktsalan Ski Center
Kaimaktsalan Ski Center or Voras is 45 km away from Edessa and 140 km away from Thessaloniki. It ranks among the best ski resorts in Greece both for its snow quality and for its long operation duration (operates from November to May). The ski center lies on the southeastern side of Mount Voras, which is the third highest mountain in Greece and its ski slopes rise at an altitude of 2,050 to 2,524 meters. There are 14 tracks running 11,000 meters in length and two race tracks with an electronic timer. In addition, it is very close to the village of Paleo Agios Athanasios, one of the most popular mountain destinations in the country.
Rent your car from Alpha Drive Rent a Car and explore all the ski resorts near Thessaloniki that offer plenty of activities!