Train & Rail Travel in Central Greece Page 2 (see Greece train map)

Livadhia to Heronia

Behind Livadhia the railway climbs up the eastern edge of Mt. Parnassos towards the Thessalian plain, and all the way to Larissa, traverses an area at once replete with historic sites and some of the most dramatic railway lines in Greece. Many daunting obstacles faced the construction of this stretch of railway, built between 1902 and 1909 by the French Societe Batignolles de Paris, including Mt. Iti and Othrys and some badly-drained plains, and it was acclaimed as one of Europe's most brilliant pieces of railroad engineering.

Heronia to Brallos Three small stations follow Heronia: Davlia, Parorion, and Kifissos.

From the station at Davila, which is 7.7 miles from the village of that name, you can backtrack to visit the ruins of ancient Panopeos, alleged home of Epeios, builder of the Trojan horse; from the village itself the ruins of ancient Daulis. The next train stop, at Tithorea is a starting point for hikes on Mt. Parnassos, which has two main peaks: Lyakoura (2475meters) and Yerontovarchos (2435meters). Parnassos was sacred to Dionysos in ancient Greece, and the Roman Ovid considered it the home of Apollo and the Muses. Despite the ski resorts (at Fterolakkas ) it still offers wonderful views and wildlife. There is a hostel for hikers at 1890 meters, at Katafiyion Sarantari, run by the Hellenic Alpine Club. From the station at Tithorea, hikers must proceed to the little village of Ano Tithoria to find the seven hour trail that ascends the mountain and descends another six hours via Delphi. There are springs about four hours into the hike, but that's it. Solid shoes and plenty of water are recommended. There's also an ancient path with a scary name: Kaki Skala (evil stairway) with takes about two full days via Lyakoura to Delphi, with the Corycian cave on the way down (sacred to Pan).

The next rail stop is at Amfiklia, a village of around 3500 inhabitants., which is also called Dadi, which is built on terraces, and has an acropolis with a Frankish tower. Beautiful mountain scenery follows from here. Next stop is Lilea, with a citadel with tall walls and towers. Brallos is an important junction that links Lamia with railways going west. A road leads off to the Pass of Thermopylae from here, where Leonidhas and his 300 Spartan soldiers fought valiantly during the Persian invasions of 480BC. The modern town of Thermopylae has thermal springs and baths and a hotel.

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