Skoteina “Morna”

The abandoned village of Pieria at an altitude of 700 meters has a strange story and can be told to the people who visit its empty houses, for more than forty years. Known since the 19th century as "Morna", which in Turkish means "dark place", it flourished and functioned as an intermediate station that connected, through the road of the time, Western Macedonia with Katerini. In 1926 it was renamed in Greek as "Skotina", maintaining the yield due to the absence of sun due to the dense vegetation and geographical characteristics of the area.

Skotina was the seat of a timber factory, which exploited the famous beech of the surrounding forest, which was characterized as one of the highest quality in the world. The closure of the factory in the 1960s deprived the residents of resources, who moved the village a few kilometers north, naming the new settlement "Fotina", as they chose a place with more sun, away from the darkness that covered the old village most hours of the day. The condition in which the old settlement was left, which the locals still call "Morna", is really impressive and gives visitors the impression that the houses are still inhabited. In combination with the abrupt evacuation, the character of the "haunted village" was attributed to the modern folk tradition in Skotina.

The area offers a unique hiking route in the dense forest, with surprises in the natural environment, and as an attraction the settlement and its traditional architecture. The church of Agios Nikolaos, the arched bridge in Mavroneri, the ruins of the once wonderful timber factory, the stone-built houses scattered among trees, next to streams, and with the scents of wildflowers and the spices of Olympus make the beautiful forest of Olympus destination, which becomes even more exciting as a cycling route.