Overview
Kokkinopilos at a glance
The highest village of Olympus, on the southwestern slopes of the mountain, and its daughter settlement Kalyvia.
Kokkinopilos (Κοκκινοπηλός, locally also Kokkinoplos) lies on the southwestern slopes of Mount Olympus, in the Municipality of Elassona, Larissa, Thessaly. At about 1,150 metres it is known as the highest village of Olympus. Sources give its altitude as 1,135 m, about 1,150 m and about 1,200 m, depending on the point measured.
Kokkinopilos is the main village of the community. Kalyvia, at around 600 metres, is its daughter settlement. Kalyvia began as seasonal dwellings of the Kokkinopilos families and later became a permanent village.
The village in numbers
| Census | Kokkinopilos | Kalyvia |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 1,976 (together) | – |
| 1940 | 1,734 | 264 |
| 1951 | 732 | 752 |
| 1981 | 639 | 614 |
| 2021 | 110 | 420 |
The fall after 1940 reflects the destruction of the village during the occupation and the emigration that followed. The chapters on the timeline tell that story.
Life in the village
People here lived from stock-breeding, wood-cutting, farming and the production of lime. The stone-built houses still hang on the slopes, and the square with its centuries-old plane tree and the church of Agia Paraskevi remain the meeting point for everyone who comes back in summer. Today the village is also a place for holidays and rest.
This history was compiled from the public sources listed below. Corrections, family stories and old photographs are welcome.