THE MARBLE ROAD

Mount Penteli, also known as Pentelikon, rises just north of Athens, forming a natural boundary between the Attica Basin and the Marathon plain. With its distinctive pyramid-shaped profile, it reaches 1,109 m at its highest summit, Pyrgari Peak. The mountain is known for its bright white limestone and marble formations, its pine forests—where they have survived repeated wildfires—and the springs that emerge from its slopes.

In antiquity, the mountain was known as Vrilissos, a name roughly translated as “strong stone”, and appears in the writings of ancient historians such as Herodotus and Thucydides. The name Penteli emerged later, around the 3rd century BC, initially referring to the nearby settlement rather than the mountain itself. The term Pentelikon eventually became associated with the mountain overlooking the village.

Penteli’s fame is inseparable from its marble. The mountain’s quarries supplied the world-renowned Pentelic marble used to build the Acropolis of Athens, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and many of Greece’s most celebrated monuments. Marble was extracted from several sites across the mountain, including the Cave of the Blameless Ones, better known today as Davelis Cave. During antiquity, a sanctuary dedicated to the Nymphs operated within the cave, serving as both a place of worship and a refuge for quarry workers.

From the 10th century AD onwards, numerous Christian churches and monasteries were established on the mountain, gradually transforming Penteli into an important religious landscape. During the Ottoman period, its caves and rugged terrain provided shelter for local resistance fighters operating around Athens and Marousi. Following the establishment of the modern Greek state, the first permanent settlers arrived, many of them Sarakatsani shepherds from the wider Marathon region.

During the German occupation in World War II, Penteli again became a refuge, this time for resistance groups fighting the occupying forces. In the decades that followed, the mountain gained a different role. Its clean air attracted thousands of tuberculosis patients who stayed in sanatoria and seasonal camps, hoping to benefit from the healthy mountain climate. During summer, more than 10,000 people were living on the mountain, most of them in temporary tents.

The last few decades have been particularly harsh for Penteli. Four major wildfires (1995, 1998, 2007 and 2024) have devastated large sections of the mountain, while expanding urban development has significantly limited its natural recovery.

Despite these challenges, Penteli remains an important ecological refuge. More than 1,100 plant species have been recorded here, including the local endemic species Verbascum pentelicum. Wildlife includes foxes, hares and weasels, while birds of prey such as short-toed snake eagles and common buzzards can still be observed soaring above the slopes. Davelis Cave is also home to the endemic cave cricket Dolichopoda petrochilosi, a species found in only four caves in Attica and nowhere else in the world.

This route is considered one of the benchmark mountain bike adventures in the mountains surrounding Athens. It combines long stretches of singletrack, narrow dirt roads and constant panoramic views over the Athens Basin, while passing a remarkable collection of ancient, Byzantine and modern landmarks.

Starting from the square of Old Penteli, the route climbs onto the southern slopes of the mountain. The opening kilometres are demanding, following steep and rough dirt roads that will test both legs and lungs. The route then traverses the entire southern face of Penteli through a landscape shaped by historic marble quarries—deep scars on the mountain’s surface, yet accompanied by spectacular views across Athens and the Saronic Gulf.

As the route approaches its highest point, just below the summit, the reward begins. Rocky jeep tracks alternate with flowing singletrack in a long descent of approximately 5 km. Along the way, riders pass the small chapel of Saint John the Quarryman, next to a spring with cold mountain water, before reaching the famous Davelis Cave and the stone-built Byzantine chapel of Saint Spyridon dating from the 12th century.

From the very place where the marble blocks once began their journey towards the Parthenon, the route joins the historic Marble Transport Road (“Lithagogia Road”). What follows is one of the highlights of the ride: a superb descending trail, technical in its upper section and increasingly fast and flowing lower down. It leads all the way back to the starting point and more than justifies every drop of sweat spent on the climb.

Although the overall distance is not particularly long, the steep gradients and demanding terrain make this a physically challenging route. Riders with limited off-road experience may find certain sections difficult. Despite the mountain’s altitude and the presence of water sources along the route, riding is not recommended during extremely hot summer days, as most of the route faces south and offers limited shade due to sparse vegetation.