Aliakmonas River

Aliakmonas river (or Haliacmon river) is a  large river 297 kilometres long, which runs through Greek territory along its whole length. It rises at Mavri Petra on Mountain Voio and flows into the Thermaic Gulf, after a course running almost at right angles, with the point of the angle to the south.

Aliakmonas’ course, originally in a south-easterly direction, is confined between the almost parallel massifs of Pindos to the west and Askios-Vourinos to the east.

At its southernmost point, the Aliakmonas river is forced to turn northeast by the Kamvounia, Titaros and Pieria range.

Aliakmonas river maximum width (apart from the artificial Polyphyto Lake) is 120 metres, with a flow rate of 1 metre per second.

Formerly, during the rainy season it did not have a regular course at its mouth and often flooded large expanses, earning it the name Lolopotamos (“Crazy River”). Sources mention that in ancient times, triremes were able to row up it quite a distance from the river mouth.

Read more about Rivers in Greece


Greece Index