Litochoro is the big traditional settlement of northeast Olympus. It offers a harmonious combination of mountain and sea, historic tradition and traditional architecture with natural beauty. Litochoro, next to the gorge of river Enipeas, has all the contemporary infrastructure to serve the needs of its many visitors, and preserves the style of the old village and Macedonian architecture. Tradition has it that it was built by the people of the ancient neighbouring city of Pimpleia, after its destruction by the swollen river. Historic testimonies date the founding of the settlement to Byzantine times, in the 14th century; in the ensuing centuries, during the Turkish occupation, trade and shipping developed in Litochoro. The cultural and economic growth of the city is testified by the many churches and stone schools. Litochoro, although far from the sea, was a renowned shipping centre for centuries. The city that resides in the shadow of Olympus was a centre of national movements from the period of the Greek War of Independence to the National Resistance.