Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus | Skotina, Lake Kati & Mount Olympus Forest Experience

A two-day celebration of wild mushrooms, forest knowledge, local gastronomy and village life beneath Mount Olympus.

Some festivals are remembered for their music.
Others for their food.

The 1st Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus, held on May 16–17, 2026 in Skotina, Pieria, brought together nature, knowledge, gastronomy and community beneath the forests of Mount Olympus.

The festival was co-organised by the
Πνευματική Κίνηση Σκοτίνας
and the
Μανιταρόφιλοι Ελλάδος,
under the auspices of the Municipality of Dion-Olympus and the Region of Central Macedonia.

Experience Pieria and Olympus Media Productions supported the festival as sponsors and contributed to its production, marketing and promotional communication.

Across two days, visitors explored the world of wild mushrooms and truffles, met producers and experts, enjoyed local food, traditional music and dancing, and experienced the hospitality of Skotina.

The photographs in this article were captured mainly during the second day’s forest excursion around Lake Kati, while the video later in the article presents highlights from the entire festival weekend.

What Was the Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus?

The inaugural festival was created around one of the forest’s most fascinating forms of hidden life: mushrooms.
But mushrooms were only the starting point.

The programme connected nature, biodiversity, education, local products, gastronomy and traditional culture, creating an experience that moved naturally between the village and the forest.

The first day focused on the community atmosphere in Skotina, with mushroom-inspired food, local products, exhibitions, music and traditional dancing.

The second day moved outdoors, taking participants into the woodland around Lake Kati for a closer look at wild mushrooms and the ecosystems in which they grow.

From Skotina Village to the Forest

One of the most interesting aspects of the festival was the connection between two different sides of Pieria.

In Skotina, the festival had the character of a village celebration: people meeting, tasting food, listening to music and sharing local traditions.

In the forest, the atmosphere changed completely.
The pace became slower.
The focus moved from people and food to trees, soil, mushrooms and the small details of the landscape.

This connection between village and forest is part of what makes mountain experiences in Pieria distinctive.

Lake Kati: A Forest Experience Beneath Mount Olympus

The second day took participants away from the village and into the woodland surrounding Lake Kati.

There was no summit to reach and no race to finish.
The experience was about walking slowly, observing the forest floor and learning to recognise what was growing around you.

For photographers, the forest offered changing light, textures and details.
For families, it became an outdoor classroom.
For mushroom enthusiasts, every step could reveal something worth stopping for.

The landscape encouraged a different kind of travel: less about covering distance and more about paying attention.

Slow Living in the Olympus Forest

Mushroom foraging has a natural way of slowing people down.

You stop to look beneath fallen leaves.
You examine a tree trunk.
You notice moss, moisture and tiny changes in the forest floor.

During the festival, children wandered between the trees while experienced mushroom hunters searched carefully for specimens.
Families stayed together, photographers looked for details and questions naturally became part of the walk.

It was a reminder that a forest experience does not always need an impressive viewpoint or a difficult trail.
Sometimes the most interesting things are the ones you would normally walk past.

Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest

The forests around Lake Kati revealed an impressive variety of wild mushrooms.
Some were easy to notice because of their colour or shape.
Others almost disappeared into the forest floor.

But the purpose of the walk was not simply to find mushrooms.
It was to understand them.

Mushrooms are part of the wider forest ecosystem, interacting with soil, trees and other forms of life.
Learning to identify them is therefore also a way of learning how a forest functions.

For visitors, this makes mushroom foraging more than a search for something edible.
It becomes an introduction to biodiversity.

Learning from Mushroom Experts

One of the strongest elements of the forest experience was the educational side.
Experienced mushroom enthusiasts guided participants through the woodland and explained how different species can be recognised and understood.

Specimens were carefully collected for identification and discussion, turning the forest walk into a practical lesson in biodiversity.

The important message was not simply which mushrooms can be eaten.
It was the importance of knowing what you are looking at before touching, collecting or consuming anything.

For anyone interested in wild mushrooms, expert guidance is essential.
A photograph or an internet search is not a substitute for reliable identification.

From the Forest to the Table

The festival also explored another natural connection: the relationship between the forest and local gastronomy.

Visitors discovered mushroom-based products and recipes, including combinations with pasta and other local ingredients.
Producers and exhibitors added another layer to the experience, showing how mushrooms and truffles can inspire food, products and culinary creativity.

The result was not simply a mushroom festival.
It was an introduction to how nature, food and local culture can meet in a mountain community.

Music, Food & Village Life in Skotina

Back in Skotina, the atmosphere was very different from the quiet forest.
Traditional music, dancing, food and conversations brought the community together.

This is an important part of experiencing a mountain festival in Pieria.
The event is not only something to watch.
It is also an opportunity to meet the people who live in the place and to experience the village as a living community.

For visitors, that combination of outdoor discovery and local hospitality can make a short trip feel much richer.

Behind the Story

For us, this festival was not only an event to document.
It was also a project we helped bring to a wider audience.

Experience Pieria and Olympus Media Productions participated as sponsors and contributed to the festival’s production, marketing and promotional communication.

That meant working not only with cameras and photographs, but with the wider story of the event: its people, its landscape, its programme and the connection between Skotina and the forests of Mount Olympus.

This is also the kind of destination storytelling we believe in at Experience Pieria:
helping meaningful local experiences become visible beyond the place where they happen.

Watch the Story of the Festival

The photographs in this article focus mainly on the second day’s forest experience around Lake Kati.
The video below brings together moments from the wider festival, including Skotina, the celebrations, the forest excursion and conversations with people involved in the event.

At the End of the Walk, It Was Never Just About the Mushrooms

As participants returned from the forest, dozens of mushroom specimens were carefully arranged for identification.

What had begun as a peaceful walk through the woodland became an open-air lesson in biodiversity.

Experienced members of the mushroom community explained how different species contribute to the forest ecosystem, while visitors gathered around with genuine curiosity.

Some discovered edible species for the first time.
Others learned why certain mushrooms should never be collected.

Every specimen carried a story:
where it had grown, which trees surrounded it and what role it plays within the forest.

The experience revealed that mushroom foraging is not about filling a basket.
It is about learning to become a respectful guest in nature.

A Celebration of Nature, Community & Tradition

The 1st Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus proved that a festival can celebrate far more than a single product.

Across two days, it brought together nature lovers, mushroom enthusiasts, local producers, volunteers, families and visitors around a shared appreciation for the forests of Mount Olympus.

Visitors experienced:

• guided mushroom foraging walks
• wild mushroom identification
• forest excursions around Lake Kati
• mushroom and truffle products
• local gastronomy
• traditional music and folk dancing
• educational activities
• exhibitions and local producers
• nature photography
• family-friendly outdoor experiences

Rather than simply showcasing mushrooms, the festival celebrated an entire landscape — its forests, its traditions and the people who continue to share their knowledge of them.

Why Experiences Like This Matter

Modern travel often encourages us to move faster.
Visit more places.
Take more photographs.
Tick another destination off the list.

The forest offers another rhythm.

Walk slowly.
Observe carefully.
Listen.
Ask questions.
Allow curiosity to replace urgency.

Whether you arrive as a photographer, a family, a nature enthusiast, a food lover or simply someone looking for a different experience in Pieria, the forests around Lake Kati offer an opportunity to reconnect with the natural world.

Why Visit Skotina?

Skotina offers an interesting way to experience a less familiar side of Pieria.
The traditional village sits between the Aegean coast and the mountain landscape of Olympus, making it possible to combine mountain experiences with the wider attractions of the region.

You can come for a festival, a forest experience, photography, local food or simply the opportunity to slow down in a traditional mountain setting.

The Mushroom & Truffle Festival showed how much can happen when a village opens the door to its forest and invites visitors to discover it differently.

Planning a Forest Experience in Pieria

If you would like to explore the forests around Mount Olympus, keep in mind that mountain conditions can change quickly.
Choose activities according to the season, weather and your experience.

• Wear suitable footwear: forest terrain can be uneven and wet.
• Check the weather: conditions in the mountains can change quickly.
• Stay on appropriate routes: especially when exploring unfamiliar woodland.
• Do not collect wild mushrooms without expert guidance: correct identification is essential.
• Respect the forest: leave plants, wildlife and habitats undisturbed unless collection is specifically permitted and guided.
• Allow time: the best forest experiences are rarely the ones you rush through.

Event Information

Event: 1st Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus

Dates: May 16–17, 2026

Location: Skotina Village & Lake Kati, Pieria, Greece

Co-organisers: Πνευματική Κίνηση Σκοτίνας & Μανιταρόφιλοι Ελλάδος

Under the auspices of: Municipality of Dion-Olympus & Region of Central Macedonia

Production, Marketing & Promotion:

Olympus Media Productions

Sponsor:

Experience Pieria

Experience Pieria and Olympus Media Productions supported the festival as sponsors and contributed to its production, marketing and promotional communication.

Looking Ahead

The first edition of the Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus created a new meeting point between the forests of Mount Olympus, local gastronomy and the community of Skotina.

Its first edition also highlighted the potential of nature-based experiences to bring visitors into the mountain villages of Pieria and introduce them to landscapes and traditions beyond the better-known coastal destinations.

The story does not end with one festival.
Skotina and the wider Pieria mountains continue to offer seasonal experiences connected with nature, food, culture and local life.

Discover More Authentic Experiences in Pieria

Beyond its famous coastline, Pieria reveals another world beneath the forests of Mount Olympus.

Traditional villages.

Hidden waterfalls.

Ancient paths.

Local wineries.

Seasonal festivals.

Authentic gastronomy.

And people who continue to preserve and share the character of their homeland.

At Experience Pieria, we share the places, stories and experiences that help visitors discover the true character of Pieria — one journey at a time.

Thank You

The first Mushroom & Truffle Festival Olympus was made possible through the work and enthusiasm of many people.

Our thanks go to the organisers, mushroom experts, volunteers, local producers, exhibitors, visitors, supporters and everyone who contributed to the creation of the event.

Most importantly, thank you to the people of Skotina for opening their village and their forest to visitors and allowing a new experience to become part of the story of Pieria.

Continue Exploring Pieria

The forest is only one part of the story.

From Skotina, you can continue towards Mount Olympus, discover traditional mountain villages, follow forest trails and waterfalls, or head back towards the Aegean coast.

Explore Pieria at your own pace:

Explore Pieria