Kaimaktsalan Mountain offers a unique adventure where three countries meet. We set out on a hike with no real plans, just the goal of reaching the peak, and the idea then became, let’s each stand in a country.
Our apartment was in the small town of Megaplatanos Greece. It was set up kind of like a dollhouse. We were staying directly next to a church. You can see that church here in the photos forefront, overlooking Megaplatanos village.
We piled into our rented car, which we found for 50 euros a day with all insurance coverage. We heard you could find cheaper deals, but we found that fair for a 12-day journey.
Today’s ride would bring us all the way up to just a bit more than 1 mile from the Kaimaktsalan Peak. As we started in more of a farmland area, we saw rows and rows of kiwis, on farms that looked up at the mountain range where we were headed. We stopped and looked at the kiwis. We spotted that some had fallen to the ground already, so we, of course, peeled them and had ourselves a nice kiwi snack straight off the tree. We picked a few extra that were still hard and brought them with us to eat later. Here they are, warming on the sill, soon to also get eaten. 😋
The nice bit about having our own car is we can stop if we see something cool or just need a wee.
Now as we drove up the mountainside to find Kaimaktsalan Peak, we noticed that the trees were changing; it started to remind me a bit of my home in upstate New York. It was that golden leaf time of the year. As we continued, the scenery changed dramatically. We saw vibrant fall leaves on deciduous trees lining the roadsides. Colors ranged from bright yellow to deep red, creating a beautiful contrast against the clear blue sky.
Why did we choose to come on this winding road? Yesterday we were looking at satellite images of the area and saw the highest peak, realizing it was pretty close to our apartment. It was then when we found Kaimaktsalan Mountain, we realized it’s not just any mountain; it’s a peak where three countries brush close together. Pretty cool location that made us have the idea of each standing in a country right at where the borders converge: North Macedonia and Greece both shaking hands at this one point, and with Albania off to the left in the distance. A plan had been formed, and now here we were, crossing into yet another landscape… The higher we climbed, the more barren and grassy the landscape appeared. It was surprising how quickly the climates changed in this 45-minute drive, from warm orchards to cool mountain forests, followed by craggy, rocky meadows as we approached the Kaimaktsalan summit.
We then arrived at our final parking spot, which was at the Kaimaktsalan ski resort. Snow would fall here in a few months, but it was somehow wet and dry at the same time.
We set out on foot toward the peak, following the ski poles, where people would ride the gondola up the mountain in the coming winter season. The boy from 
We stumbled upon interesting mint plants growing wild along one side of our path; their fresh minty scent filled the air as we walked. Then a pretty sweet moment happened when a red-tailed fox pounced out from behind a rock and bounded away.
I couldn’t get out my camera in time to catch the picture. I think we startled him, coming up from behind him on the windy rocks. We reached the end of the ski chairs and took some pictures on the seat
Unfortunately, that picture led to fiberglass itches for the kids. Complaining of itching, they weren’t certain they could make it to the peak, which was still another 500 meters away. And mom was complaining about being more tired than she had ever been in her entire life. With photo evidence here…
So i set off alone, on my mission to the top, no lazy itching family was going to stop me from reaching the summit. As i neared i could see ahead a church like thing at the peak, not much longer now to get there.
It was really amazing up here.
And it was here that i spotted a sweet pole to put some stickers up. Hive Communities representing!!
And of course, after a long tiring day hiking. You need to fill up on some tasty Greek food.Check out that spread!
After I got home, I looked the place up online and tried to figure out what that church was.Here is some of the info i learned.
A Glimpse into History: The Significance of Kaimaktsalan
Kaimaktsalan Mountain is not only a stunning natural landmark but also a site filled with history. This area played an important role during World War I. It was the scene of fierce battles as countries fought for control over strategic points in the region.
The mountain’s location made it vital for military strategies at that time. Troops used its high peaks to gain advantages over their opponents below. That church was more like a memorial. Understanding this context added a bit more depth to our hike and made us appreciate that there was no war while we were up there.
Really cool area of Greece if you ever find yourself around these parts, i can recommend a visit!