Katerini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Katerini Κατερίνη
City Hall of Katerini
Katerini Location in Greece
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Central Macedonia
Regional unit	Pieria
Municipality	Katerini
Municipal unit	Katerini
Area
• Municipality	681.863 km2 (263.269 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	93.659 km2 (36.162 sq mi)
Elevation	30 m (100 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Municipality	82,892
• Municipality density	121.5669/km2 (314.8569/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	62,742
• Municipal unit density	669.898/km2 (1,735.028/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Kateriniotis (Greek: Κατερινιώτης)
Community
• Population	59,189 (2021)
• Area (km2)	63.196
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	60100, 60131, 60132, 60133, 60134
Area code(s)	23510
Vehicle registration	KN

Katerini (Greek: Κατερίνη, Kateríni) is a lively city and a local government area (called a municipality) in northern Greece. It is the main city of the Pieria region in Central Macedonia. Katerini is located on a flat area between the famous Mount Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf. It sits about 14 meters (46 feet) above sea level.

The municipality of Katerini is home to about 82,892 people, based on the 2021 count. It is the second largest city in the wider Macedonia area, after Thessaloniki. Katerini is only 68 kilometers (42 miles) from Thessaloniki, which has helped it grow a lot recently. You can easily reach Katerini by car using the A1/E75 highway from Athens or Thessaloniki. There are also train services, including a local suburban railway, and many bus routes connecting the city to other places.

Katerini is a popular spot for tourists in northern Greece. It's very close to the sea, just 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away. There are also many interesting old places nearby, like the ancient city of Dion (from the 5th century BC, 17 km away). Other ancient sites include Leivithra and Pydna, plus the old Castle of Platamon. Many beaches like Kallithea, Korinos, Olympiaki Akti (also called Katerinoskala), and Paralia are popular with both Greek and international visitors in summer. The base of Mount Olympus and the town of Litochoro are about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Katerini's center. If you like winter sports, the ski center of Elatochori on Mount Pieria is about 33.4 kilometers (20.8 miles) away.

City's Name and Past Events

The exact story behind Katerini's name isn't fully clear. Some old maps and travelers from the 1200s mention a place called Hatera, which might be where the name came from. For example, one traveler wrote its name as "Katheri." Another idea is that the city got its name from a small church dedicated to Saint Catherine (Agia Aikaterini in Greek). This church, located east of the city, has been there since at least the early 1800s. This idea was so strong that official documents used "Aikaterini" or "Agia Aikaterini" for the city's name until the early 1900s, when the more common name "Katerini" became popular.

Around the early 1800s, travelers reported that Katerini had about four to five thousand residents, mostly Greeks. By 1900, the city had about 2,070 Orthodox Christians and 600 Muslims.

The Greek 7th Infantry Division took the city from the Ottoman Empire on October 16, 1912, during the First Balkan War. Since then, Katerini has been part of Greece. After the Greek genocide, many Greek refugees came to live in Katerini. In 1923, there was a population exchange between Greece and Turkey. This meant the Muslims living in Katerini had to leave, and Greek refugees from East Thrace and Evangelicals from Asia Minor moved in. This almost doubled the city's population, from 5,540 people in 1920 to 10,138 in 1928.

Katerini's Climate

Katerini has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm to hot, dry summers and cool, wetter winters.

Delicious Local Food

Katerini is surrounded by villages known for their amazing local products. You can find high-quality kiwis, wines, cherries, strawberries, and apples here. They also produce olives, olive oil, truffle oil, truffles, and mushrooms. Grapes, mineral water, and herbs like the famous Greek mountain tea (known as "Tea of Olympus") are also grown.

Honey and honey products are popular, including propolis (a sticky substance from bees), royal jelly (food for queen bees), beeswax ointment, and bee pollen. The area also makes dairy products like milk, butter, kefir (a fermented milk drink), and yogurt. Many types of cheese are made here, such as feta, kasseri, manouri, anthotyros, kefalotyri, and mizithra.

Local farms raise chickens for meat and eggs, and black pigs for meat, cured meats, and sausages. A special type of cow, the Katerini Steppe Cattle, comes from this area. These cows are known for their meat and milk, but they are now very rare. The food in Katerini is part of Greece's Macedonian cuisine. Fresh Seafood is also a big part of the local diet, coming mainly from the nearby seaport of Paralia.

Katerini's Economy and Tourism

Tsalopoulos mansion

Katerini is the main center for business and government in the Pieria region. In 2022, Katerini joined the EU Smart Tourism Destinations Project. This project helps promote tourism that is good for the environment and uses technology to make travel easier. Katerini has won awards for its efforts in recycling and protecting the environment. It is the first city in Greece to try out a special platform for recycling cooking oil. This project is done with the International Hellenic University. The city also takes part in a European program to help adapt to the effects of climate change.

Many important organizations are based in Katerini. These include groups for businesses, farmers, sheep and goat farmers, and agricultural cooperatives. There are also associations for hotels and travel agents.

Every year, Katerini hosts a Trade-Craft Exhibition and a traditional Greek festival called Emporopanigyri (or Panigyri) in August-September. This festival takes place at the city's exhibition area. In April, the Park Festival is held at the Municipal Park, offering street food and fun activities. In October, there's a Fest of Honey at the Municipal Park, organized by local beekeepers.

Farming in Katerini

Katerini Municipal Park

Katerini is in the middle of a large plain, making it an important farming city. Many people in Pieria work in agriculture. Growing tobacco is a big part of the local economy, and a lot of resources are used to develop and export this product. The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Pieria has 9,000 members, with 2,000 of them growing tobacco.

Katerini was the first place in Greece where kiwis were grown, starting in 1973. The "Aktinidio Pierias" kiwi, a type of Hayward kiwi, is grown here. It has a special certification as a "Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)" product, meaning it's known for its quality from this specific region.

Popular Tourist Spots

Katerini Beach

Katerini is a popular place for tourists from Greece and other countries. The municipality has over 230 hotels and many short-term rentals, which can host more than 8,600 people. Most of the tourist facilities, including many tavernas (Greek restaurants) and cafes, are in Paralia and Olympiaki Akti. These two places are connected by roads, sidewalks, and bike paths.

Winter tourism is also growing, thanks to the Elatochori ski resort. Katerini is surrounded by ancient places like Dion, Leivithra, Pydna, Louloudies, and Platamon Castle. Mount Olympus is a special place recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. Its Olympus National Woodland Park is great for visits and outdoor sports.

Getting Around Katerini

Local Travel Options

For travel within the Pieria region, the KTEL Pieria bus station in Katerini offers intercity bus services. For getting around Katerini and its nearby towns, the local KTEL Katerini urban buses run routes to places like Ano Agios Ioannis, Aronas, Dion, Moschochori, Olympiaki Akti, Paralia, and the New General Hospital. These buses cover all the smaller towns and villages between Katerini and these main stops.

Road Connections

Katerini is connected by the A1 motorway and National Road 1, which run north and south from Evzonoi to Athens. There's also National Road 13 connecting Katerini to Elassona. Smaller roads link Katerini to every town in the Pieria region. The KTEL Pieria intercity buses also connect Katerini directly to major cities like Athens, Thessaloniki, Elassona, and Alexandreia. There are even private international bus routes from Katerini to cities in Albania and Bulgaria.

Train Services

The Katerini Railway Station is just outside the city center. The main Greek railway line, which links Athens and Thessaloniki, passes through Katerini. This means you can travel directly to Larissa and Thessaloniki using the Thessaloniki Suburban Railway (Proastiakos), which is an electric suburban train. Katerini is also connected to Athens and all the stops in between by Intercity train services.

People of Katerini

Historical Population Changes

The population of Katerini has grown a lot over the years.

Local Communities and People

St. Fotini Church at the beach in Paralia

Katerini is home to a large group of Aromanians, with over 3,000 people. Most Aromanians in Katerini came from nearby Aromanian villages. Some sources say that Aromanians made up most of the Christian population in the early 1900s. In central Katerini, there is a statue of Giorgakis Olympios (1772–1821). He was a military leader during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.

People from Other Countries

In 2001, about 2,794 people living in Katerini (which was 4.9% of the total population) were from other countries. The largest group was Albanians (2.5%), followed by Georgians (0.5%), Russians (0.4%), and Bulgarians (0.3%).

Religious Groups

Evangelical church

The Metropolis of Kitros, Katerini and Platamon is part of the Church of Greece, which is a branch of the wider Greek Orthodox Church. It has 16 churches in Katerini. There is also an Old Calendarist church in the city. Katerini has a fairly large Protestant community. This is because many Greek Protestant refugees from Asia Minor and Pontus (a region in Turkey) settled here. Today, the Greek Evangelical Church of Katerini has almost 1,100 members, many of whom live in the Evaggelika area of the city. Other Protestant churches in Katerini include the Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost, the Greek Apostolic Church of Pentecost, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Protestant community is now fully part of city life. However, in the past, there were some disagreements between the Evangelical community and the Greek Orthodox majority. These disagreements even led to the Evangelical Church of Katerini being burned down by a Greek Orthodox crowd in March 1930.

Learning and Schools

Katerini has a public education system that includes schools for all ages.

• The city has preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools (Gymnasium and High School).
• There is a Center of Lifelong Learning, which works with the Ministry of Education.
• The Ministry of Tourism offers special training programs for people working in tourism.
• The Hellenic Red Cross has a school for Samaritans, Rescuers, and Lifeguards.
• The Municipal Odeion of Katerini is a music school where you can learn about music.
• The Rescue Team of Pieria also offers educational programs.

From 2006 to 2016, there was a Second Chance Seminary School in Katerini. It was a two-year boarding school for religious education, but it stopped operating in 2016.

Sports and Activities

Athletic Centers in Katerini

• The 1st Municipal Athletic Center of Katerini (A DAK) has the 4,995-seat open-air Stadium of Katerini.
• The 2nd Municipal Athletic Center of Katerini (B DAK), named "Theodoros Diamantopoulos," includes an Indoor Sports Stadium, a football field, tennis courts, basketball courts, an indoor shooting range, and an indoor swimming pool.
• There is also an Indoor Sports Stadium at the Katerini Railway Station.

Football Teams

Katerini has two football teams that play in national leagues.

• Pierikos plays its home games at the 1st Municipal Athletic Center of Katerini. This club is currently in the Gamma Ethniki (Third National) category.
• The women's football club, Pierides Muses, plays in the Women's Gamma Ethniki category.

Other Sports

• Pierikos-Archelaos B.C. is a basketball team that plays in the A2 League, which is the second highest level of Greek basketball.
• GAS Archelaos Katerinis is a handball team that plays in the A2 League, the second highest level of the Greek handball league system.

Famous People from Katerini

Many talented people come from Katerini:

• Dimos Anastasiadis (born 1985), a musician and singer.
• Basil Athanasiadis (born 1970), a musician and composer.
• Eleni Chatziliadou (born 1993), a karate athlete who became a world champion in 2018.
• Giannis Christoforidis (1941–2020), a footballer who played for the Greece national football team.
• Georgios Diamantidis (born 1984), a swimmer known for long-distance freestyle.
• Elias Gaganelis, who started the Replicar Hellas car company in Katerini.
• Dimitris Giannoulis (born 1995), a footballer.
• Matthew Josafat (1937–2022), a psychiatrist.
• Stelios Malezas (born 1985), a footballer.
• Christina Moschi (born 2002), an air pistol shooter and a member of the Hellenic National Shooting Team.
• Katerina Nikolaidou (born 1992), a rower who placed 4th at the 2016 Olympic Games.
• Kyriakos Papadopoulos (born 1992), a footballer.
• Alexandros Tziolis (born 1985), a footballer.

Katerini's Sister Cities

Katerini has special connections with other cities around the world, called "twin towns" or "sister cities." These connections help promote friendship and understanding between different places.

Images for kids

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  Map of the Municipality of Katerini

• 

  City Hall of Katerini

See also

In Spanish: Katerini para niños