Katerini (, ) is a city and a municipality in northern Greece. It is the capital of the Pieria regional unit in Central Macedonia. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mount Olympus and the Thermaic Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. According to the 2021 census, the municipality has a population of 82,891, with 59,189 people living within the city-limits of Katerini.
A popular tourist destination in northern Greece, Katerini is close to the sea (7 km) and to several archaeological sites of great interest such as the ancient city of Dion (5th century BC, 17 km away), ancient Leivithra (27 km away), ancient Pydna (16 km away) and the Castle of Platamon. The beaches of Kallithea, Korinos, Olympiaki Akti (or Katerinoskala), Paralia (where the 3rd Port Authority Department of Skala Katerini is located), Peristasi are visited by both Greek and foreign tourists during the summer season. The base of Mount Olympus and the town of Litochoro, are at a distance of around 20 km from the center of Katerini. The ski center of Elatochori in Mount Pieria is at a distance of 33.4 km from the city's center.
Name and history The origin of the name is obscure. Since the 13th century, travellers as well as maps record the existence of a settlement called Hatera (), which may have been the origin of the modern name. Thus Felix Beaujour recorded its name as "Katheri", while François Pouqueville gives the name of the settlement as "Kateri Hatera". According to another theory, the city derives its name from the small chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine (Greek: , Agia Aikaterini) to the east of the city, dating to at least the early 19th century. The latter hypothesis influenced official usage in Greek, where the city is found as "Aikaterini" (Greek: ) or "Agia Aikaterini" (Greek: ) until the early 20th century, when the vernacular name Katerini (Greek: ) prevailed.
According to the reports of travellers, at the turn of the 19th century, the city had four to five thousand inhabitants, mostly Greeks. In 1806, William Martin Leake recorded 100 hearths, while four years later Daniel recorded 140. For the remainder of the 19th century, the number of homes remained steady at about 300, with a population in 1900 of 2,070 Orthodox Christians and 600 Muslims.
The city was liberated by the Greek 7th Infantry Division from the Ottoman rule and annexed to the Greece on 16 October 1912, during the First Balkan War. It has been part of Greece since then. Refugees from the Greek genocide settled in Katerini. With the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923 the city's Muslims were expelled, while Greek refugees from Eastern Thrace and Asia Minor took their place, almost doubling the city's population from 6,540 in 1920 to 10,138 in 1928.
During Axis Occupation of Greece by the Axis Powers in World War II, Katerini went under Nazi German occupation on 14 April 1941, and was liberated on 26 October 1944.
Geography
Administrative division The Municipality of Katerini was formed in 2011 with the Kallikratis Programme administrative reform by the merger of the following 6 former municipalities, that became municipal units of the newly formed Municipality of Katerini.
The municipality Katerini is subdivided into 6 municipal units, each of which is divided into municipal communities.
Municipality of Katerini Municipal Units M.U. Elafina M.U. Katerini M.U. Korinos Municipal Communities Municipal Communities Municipal Communities Aronas Elafos Exochi Katalonia Lagorrachi Moschopotamos Palaio Keramidi Trilofos Ano Agios Ioannis Ganochora Katerini Neokaisareia Svoronos Kato Agios Ioannis Korinos Koukkos Nea Trapezounta Sevasti M.U. Paralia M.U. Petra M.U. Pierioi Municipal Communities Municipal Communities Municipal Communities Kallithea Paralia Peristasi Agios Dimitrios Foteina Lofos Milia Moschochori Elatochori Ritini Vria City of Katerini Major Districts Center (Greek: ) Analipsi () Nea Zoi () Agia Anna () Evaggelika () Thrakiotika () Agia Triada () Agios Fotios () Municipal Park () Agia Paraskevi () Ergatikes Katikies () Vatan () Hiradika () Paradisos () Mylavlakos () Agioi Pantes () Katafygiotika () Agia Aikaterini () Ethniko Stadio () Kapnikos Stathmos () Astika (Aston) [] Railway station ()
Climate Katerini has a humid subtropical climate that is characterised by warm to hot, dry summers and cool and more humid winters (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).
Local cuisine Katerini is located near several villages which are renowned for their high quality products, specifically kiwis, wines, cherries, strawberries, apples, olives, olive oil, truffle oil, truffles, mushrooms, grapes, mineral water, herbs with the most well-known being the Greek mountain tea locally in Pieria known as "Tea of Olympus", honey and honey products (propolis, royal jelly, beeswax ointment, bee pollen), dairy products (milk, butter, kefir, yogurt), cheese (feta, kasseri, manouri, anthotyros, kefalotyri, mizithra), chickens (meat, eggs), black pigs (meat, cured meat, sausages). Katerini Steppe Cattle originate from Katerini. This breed belonging to the Podolian cattle is at high risk of extinction, and is well known for its meat and milk. It is found now in the region of Thessaly. The cuisine of Katerini is Greece's Macedonian cuisine. Seafood comes mainly from the seaport of Paralia.
Economy
Katerini is the administrative and economic center of Pieria. In 2022 it joined the EU Smart Tourism Destinations Project for smart tourism. The project aims to promote sustainable development practices and access to tourism and hospitality through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with the collaboration of other EU selected destinations. Katerini has received a gold award of Circular Economy and a silver award of Environmental Excellence to Local Authorities at the Environmental Awards 2022 at Hellenic Foundation for Culture on 28 September 2022. It is the first municipality in Greece in which the pilot implementation of the SMARTREC Platform for the recycling of cooking oil is taking place. This implementation is with collaboration with the International Hellenic University. The municipality participates in the European program "LIFE-IP AdaptInGR – Boosting the implementation of adaptation policy across Greece" (2019–2026) for the adaptation to the effects of climate change, led by the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
The following organizations are based in Katerini: the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Pieria, Dimitra Agricultural-Livestock-farming Association of Katerini, Sheep-Goat Farmers of Pieria Agricultural Cooperative of Prefecture of Pieria, Agios Modestos Sheep-Goat Farmers Association of Pieria, Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Pieria, Consortium of Agricultural Tobacco Cooperatives of Pieria, Pieria Hoteliers Association, Federation of Letting Rooms and Accommodations of Pieria, Imathia, Pella (OEDDPIP), Travel Agents Association of Pieria.
Every year it operates the Trade-Craft Exhibition Activity of Pieria & Central Makedonia (EBEP-KM), and the open-air market and traditional Greek festival Emporopanigyri known as Panigyri in August-September, taking place at the exhibition area of the Municipality of Katerini in the Andromachi settlement. The Park Festival is held at the Municipal Park of Katerini in April with street food and fun activities. In October, the Fest of Honey for honey and bee products is held at the Municipal Park of Katerini, organized by the Agios Filaretos o Eleimon Bee-keeping Association of Pieria, under the auspices of the Municipality of Katerini. The Municipality of Katerini, in collaboration with the Zeus Athletic Cultural Club of Pieria's Runners, organizes every year the "Run for Katerini" 8 km road race, part of the events celebrating the liberation of Katerini on 16 October 1912.
Agriculture
Katerini lies in the middle of a plain and is thus an agricultural city. 26,775 people were employed in agriculture in Pieria as of 2000. There is cultivation of tobacco in the region and a lot of people spend considerable resources for its development and for exports of the product. The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Pieria has 9,000 members, of which 2,000 grow tobacco. Katerini - and Pieria - is the area in Greece where kiwis were first cultivated in 1973 at the initiative of Tasos Michos who was application agronomist at the Pieria Directorate of Agriculture. The Aktinidio Pierias is cultivated in Pieria and is a part of the Hayward kiwi variety. It is registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) product with the awarding of certification on 22 November 2002.
Tourism
Katerini is a popular tourist destination that attracts visitors from Greece and abroad. Within the boundaries of the municipality, there are seasonal and all year round over 230 hotels, that can accommodate more than 8,600 people, short-term rental accommodatios, and tourist accommodations. The vast majority of the tourist infrastructure, including tens of tavernas and cafes, lie in Paralia and Olympiaki Akti. These two localities are linked with roads, sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Winter tourism has started developing in the area with the Elatochori ski resort. Katerini is surrounded by ancient archaeological sites as Dion, Leivithra, Pydna, Louloudies and Platamon Castle. The wider area of Mount Olympus was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a mixed World Heritage Site since 2026, it is also a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 1981. Part of it has been declared a national park, and serves as a popular hiking destination.
Public health The National Health System (ESY) in Katerini has the: General Hospital of Katerini, in the area of Neo Keramidi. Health Center of Katerini. 4th Local Health Group (T.OM.Y.) of Katerini housed in the premises of the Health Center of Katerini and National Organization for Health Care Services (EOPYY). 12th Local Health Group (T.OM.Y.) of Katerini housed in the premises of the former General Hospital of Katerini. Regional Care Center in Paralia operates each summer season. Atraktos Center for the Prevention of Addictions and Promotion of Psychosocial Health of the Regional Unit of Pieria.
The Municipal Social Care Center of Katerini of the Municipality of Katerini is housed in the premises of the former General Hospital of Katerini and provides primary health care services to the vulnerable social groups that has been equipped and funding from a Migrant and Refugee Fund (MRF) grant received through the Council of Europe Development Bank. The social welfare program "Help at Home" operates by Municipality of Katerini supports vulnerable, elderly and people with disabilities who are unable to support themselves and are in need of help at home. In 2020, Municipality of Katerini acquired a mobile (vehicle mounted frequency selective) measurement station that monitor the electromagnetic field levels from antenna stations in the frequency range 100KHz–7 GHz, which is operated and controlled by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE), with the aim of public information about high-frequency electromagnetic fields levels. The results are presented through an interactive web portal and mobile application.
Municipality of Katerini operates its office for local stray animals.
Transport Katerini is located 68 kilometres from Thessaloniki, with the close distance between the two cities (68 km), has been beneficial for Katerini's development over recent years. Katerini is accessible from the A1/E75 Athens–Thessaloniki motorway (with the Katerini's South, East and North interchanges) and the A2 motorway to the north. It is served by Intercity, Proastiakos (suburban train) and local trains on the main Athens-Thessaloniki railway line and there is a comprehensive regional and national bus service with its hub in the city.
Local transport