Deer is the largest herbivorous animal in Greece. The red one of Parnitha has become the trademark of its national park.
If you don’t decent from a village in a mountainous place, you may never be given a chance to be a stone’s throw from this wild animals. But if you go all the way to Parnitha, you might get lucky and meet a red deer.
How to get there
You can reach more than a thousand meters of altitude by road, following the Athens Lamia highway at the junction of Metamorphosis and make a left. Reaching the foot of the mountain you have two options . Either you continue with the IX or you take the cable car and leave your vehicle in the parking lot.
The red deer
As soon as I left the car and got into the woods, I saw them. At a minimum distance a herd of the famous red deer of Parnitha. But they stood there, and others coughed with nobility.
The red deer can be found in the mountains of Rodopi but a population of about 600 animals has lived permanently for many years on the highest mountain of the city. It has taken its name from the characteristic brownish-red color of its hair. Proud animals, with delicate bodyand walking like a ballerina, are eye-popping.
It reproduces throughout the area of the park,due to the protection provided by others and because of the peculiarity of the mountain that meets its needs. The likeable tetrapods after the devastating fire of 2007, forced by the instinct of survival, approach more often humans in search of food. That is why we must pay attention, since the deer is not a domestic animal.
The chapel of St. Peter and Paul in Mola, can be a starting point, a finish, or even a stopover for hiking or cycling on the mountain trails. It may still be none of that. Coming here and siting down and empty your head. And if you go without company you won’t stay alone. There’s always a deer will keep you company.
I think you have a good stimulus to plan another escape to Parnitha.
Frequently Asked Questions
The deer is the largest herbivorous animal in Greece. The red deer population of Mount Parnitha has become the trademark of its national park, with approximately 600 animals living permanently on the mountain.
You can reach Mount Parnitha by following the Athens-Lamia highway and taking a left junction at Metamorphosis. Once at the foot of the mountain, you have two options: continue by car on road IX or take the cable car and park your vehicle in the parking lot. You can reach altitudes of over 1,000 meters by road.
Red deer reproduce throughout Mount Parnitha's national park due to the protection provided by the park and because the mountain's unique characteristics meet their specific needs. A permanent population of about 600 red deer has lived on the highest mountain of Athens for many years.
After the devastating fire of 2007, the red deer population was forced by survival instinct to approach humans more frequently in search of food. This means visitors should be cautious, as the deer remain wild animals and are not domesticated.
The chapel of St. Peter and Paul in Mola serves as an excellent starting point, finishing point, or stopover for hiking and cycling on Mount Parnitha's mountain trails. It's also a peaceful location to rest and observe the red deer population in their natural habitat.
