PENTELI

Mount Penteli — also known as Pentelikon — rises north of Athens, forming a natural boundary between the Attica basin and the Marathon valley. With its distinctive pyramidal shape, it reaches its highest point at Pyrgari Peak (1,109 m). The mountain is known for its hard white rock, its pine forests — where they survived the fires — and the natural springs that emerge along its slopes.

In antiquity, the mountain was called Vrilissos, meaning “mighty stone”, a name found in the writings of Herodotus and Thucydides. The name “Penteli” appeared later, around the 3rd century BC, initially referring to the settlement rather than the mountain itself. The term “Pentelikon” was subsequently used to describe the mountain surrounding Penteli.

The region’s fame is inseparably linked to Pentelic marble. From the ancient quarries — particularly the Cave of Amomon, also known as Davelis Cave — marble was extracted for the construction of the Acropolis of Athens and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, as well as for later landmark buildings such as the National Library of Greece, the National Technical University of Athens and the Zappeion Hall. In antiquity, a Nymphaeum (a sanctuary dedicated to the Nymphs) operated inside the cave, serving as a place of worship and rest for quarry workers.

Much later, in the 10th century AD, the construction of numerous Christian churches marked the region’s association with Christianity. During Ottoman rule, the caves and slopes of Penteli provided refuge for resistance fighters from Marousi and Athens. After independence and the establishment of the modern Greek state, the first permanent residents settled in the area — primarily Sarakatsani shepherds from nearby Marathon.

During the German occupation in World War II, Penteli’s residents sheltered Athenian resistance fighters and suffered reprisals by German forces. After 1940, the mountain hosted sanatoria for tuberculosis patients, as its clean air was considered therapeutic. Particularly during the summer months, more than 10,000 people — most living in tents — stayed on the mountain seeking recovery through fresh air.

The last three decades have marked a devastating period for Penteli, with four major wildfires (1995, 1998, 2007, 2024) compounded by intense development that has severely hindered the mountain’s natural regeneration.

Despite its scars, Penteli remains ecologically significant. It hosts more than 1,100 plant species, including the local endemic Verbascum pentelicum. Wildlife includes foxes, hares and weasels, as well as birds of prey such as short-toed eagles and common buzzards, along with a rich reptile population. Davelis Cave is also home to the endemic orthopteran Dolichopoda petrochilosi, a species found in only four caves in Attica and nowhere else in the world.

This route circumnavigates the Penteli mountain massif, exploring some of its most overlooked slopes. Ridden entirely on dirt, it features steep gradients and constant transitions between well-maintained forest roads, rough doubletrack and stretches of impressive singletrack. A true epitome of mountain biking adventure.

It requires solid fitness and confidence on technical terrain.

The starting point is the square of Palaia Penteli. The route initially climbs to 850 m, reaching a distinctive saddle above the Monastery of Agios Panteleimon. What follows is a beautiful yet technical downhill singletrack packed with loose rock, leading to Agios Loukas. The trail then mellows out and passes by the Aloula Open-Air Quarry Museum.

After the last houses of Dionysos, the route continues through the challenging yet spectacular old quarry passage near the chapel of Agia Marina, where you will need to push — and for about 50 meters, shoulder — your bike.

Another five-kilometer climb brings you close to the Pournara spring, before the final section — mostly downhill — leads you back to the starting point.

Although the total distance is not particularly long, the demanding terrain combined with gradients exceeding 20% in places makes this route highly challenging, both physically and technically.