If you are looking for an escape that combines living history with wild mountain beauty, the sixth section of the National Trail O22 will steal your heart. The adventure begins in the picturesque, stone-built Vilia, where the tranquility of the village prepares you for a thrilling climb. As you leave the last houses behind you, you step on the traces of an ancient path. It is a shocking feeling to think that the same passage, which leads to the Kiafa Mouza pass, connected Vilia with the historic Plataea in ancient times.

 

The 10-kilometer uphill route requires courage and good physical condition, as the altitude difference approaches 1,000 meters, but every step through the dense fir forest rewards you with the smells and sounds of nature. Halfway through, the welcoming mountain refuge of Kithairona emerges as an oasis of rest, offering the necessary breath before the final challenge.

 

From there, the landscape transforms as you move along the imposing ridge, passing by the “Three Peaks” . The altitude gives you a sense of freedom, which peaks as soon as you step on the highest peak, Elatia , at 1,409 meters. The view from up there is breathtaking: the Corinthian Gulf shimmers in the distance, the Gerania Mountains rise imposingly and the gaze travels all the way to the snow-capped Parnassos (depending on the season). It is a 4.5 to 6-hour experience that will fill you with images, fatigue that is worth every second and a deep sense of conquest, ideally during the sweet months of spring and autumn.