THESSALY

GENERAL INFORMATION

The flattest and most developed, from an agricultural point of view, part of Greece, Thessaly is almost at the centre of the country, with a view to the sea and enclosed by mountains, rich with lakes and rivers, big cities and history: everything needed to characterise an area as a very interesting one.

HISTORY - CULTURE

According to the findings of the archaeologists, the area was first inhabited during the Palaeolithic era (100000 B.C.). In the Neolithic era, the population was denser and organised, presenting data testifying a quite developed - for that period - civilisation characterised as one of the oldest in Europe. In the Copper Age (2800 - 1100 B.C.) Thessaly was the place of concentration of the Greek tribes that later inhabited Southern Greece. A worth mentioning civilisation and economy developed in Mycenean times, the centre being the famous Iolkos. Also interesting, is the historical course of the Thessalians until the Roman conquest, when their strong and wealth-producing agriculture and their "clever" tactic of union between the four states preserved development rates without cease. making them strong in every field, where their strong point was the famous Thessalian cavalry. Another element of this success was the tactic of neutrality that these states followed in great wars. In 323 B.C., Thessaly became a part of Macedonia of Philip B" and then of his son, Alexander the Great, who used the Thessalian cavalry in his Asian expeditions. After the death of Alexander the Great, Thessaly kept being a part of the Macedonian kingdom (despite their anti-Macedonian attitude) until 197 B.C., when they were conquered by the Roman Empire.

During that period, but especially during the Byzantine era, Thessaly - having as its centre and capital the city of Larissa - flourished and had a significant cultural and economic role despite the raids that frequently occurred in the area. Later on, from the Latin conquest until 1348 A.D., Thessaly went through various stages without nevertheless losing any of its economic power. At the end of the 14th century, the Turkish raids begin with 1423 A.D. marking the beginning of the Turkish occupation. The dark years of population movements, bloodshed revolts and exploitation of the land and the people followed, The end of the Turkish occupation came with the Revolution, where the Thessalians took a dynamic part. Nevertheless, Thessaly officially became a part of Greece only in 1881, after numerous revolts. Another significant point of the Thessalian history is the agricultural revolution of 1910 against the big land owners.

SIGHTS

The entire Thessaly is a natural wealth wonder. Mountains, rivers, planes, forests, caves, gorges, springs will satisfy the most demanding nature lover. On the other hand, countless monasteries, ancient ruins and monuments will "chain" the visitor to the Thessalian land where the cities and the vacation sites provide all necessary facilities. It would not be possible to mention all the natural sights to see, since many of them are not yet known. Nevertheless, on the top of this endless list one should put Meteora the Pilion villages, the Pinios river with the monumental Tempi valley, Mount Olympus (the highest in Greece), Hippocrates" grave etc. But apart from all these analysis, references and subjective views, some parts of Thessaly will capture the heart and the mind of the visitor.

ENTERTAINMENT - SPORTS - SHOPPING

Karditsa, Trikala, Larissa and Volos offer an endless list of choices. Especially the last two cities, in a fast development pace in the last few years, offer a great variety of possibilities in your buys and entertainment. The markets and the tourist centres stand higher than one should expect, whereas the same goes for restaurants and night clubs. In sports, there are fields for all kinds of sports in all urban and tourism centres, whereas in the country one can enjoy mountain bike, sea sports in many of the numerous crystal-clear beaches as well as skiing in the two ski centres of Pilion and Olympus. One should not neglect the infinite and marvellous walking roundabouts in every corner of this beautifull land. When it comes to food, the visitor will be delighted by the local varieties of tsipouro, wine, cheese, delicatessen, honey, fruits, halva etc. Moreover, the visitor is offered a rich variety of hand made popular art articles and embroideries.

ACCESS

By road, taking the bus to Karditsa, Volos, Larissa and Trikala from Athens and Thessaloniki on a daily basis. The train leaves Athens to Larissa and Palaiofarsala and from there local trains and buses will take you to Trikala, Volos, Karditsa, Kalampaka etc. One can also take the boat from Piraeus to Volos, with a much more regular service in the summer than in the winter. Fast boats service the city in the summer too.