Family trip to Thessalia Region with children. Ideas on where to go with your child

If you want to see all the beautiful places and sights of Thessaly, you will need to travel across the neighborhood. This may not be very convenient for parents with small children, so we recommend that you still choose those places and monuments, which are located in the immediate vicinity of your place of residence. If you have older children, surely, you need to visit the main sightseeing attractions of the region.

A trip to lake Plastiras, also known as "Little Switzerland", will be very exciting. It is a small, picturesque artificial lake with beautiful views, crystal-clear waters, rich greenery, and fauna; this trip will undoubtedly be remembered by children. Here you can feed the swans and take a horse ride.

The excursion to Alonissos island, which plays host to the National Marine Park, will be interesting to children of any age. Here you can take a walk, admire the landscape and see rare animals and birds, first of all, dolphins and seals. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Of course, you need to go on a trip to the Meteora. Since the trip lasts the whole day it is quite tiresome. Consider the strength and endurance of your child, yet such a long trip is more suitable for children of school age; for little kids, it can be physically difficult and probably not so interesting.

But if you stay directly in Kalabaka or Trikala, where the Meteora complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries are located, you can easily take your child with you. If you stay in Trikala, then, along with the Meteora, you should visit with your child the Osman Shah Mosque built by Mimar Sinan, the library, the Byzantine castle, and the ruins of the ancient Asclepeion (the healing temple, dedicated to Asclepius, the first doctor-demigod in Greek mythology). Naturally, such a visit will be interesting to an older child; with a baby, you can just take a walk through the old streets of the districts Varousi. The famous Pertouli Ski Center is located here; even if you do not ski, take a trip there for one day, the ski-runs for beginners and for kids are really good. This is a great way to make the holiday more diverse both for a child and an adult.

Larissa has many parks. The largest and most beautiful one is the Alcazar Park, the locals love to spend time here. It is located beside the river, there are playgrounds, lawns, bike lanes in the park. This is a great place for walks as a family.

With younger children you can go to the Folklore Museum of Larissa, which displays interesting pieces of folk handicrafts, houseware, clothing; also you can visit the municipal Puppet Museum, presenting a huge collection of characters of different puppet plays.

Children of any age will be interested in visiting the Museum of the Hellenic Veterinary Military Service, which is located at the military barracks. Here you can learn about the role of animals in wars and get acquainted with four-legged soldiers.

If you decide to stay in Karditsa, there is a great park here called Pafsilipo. On a hot day, you can get some rest with your child in the park. As for the museums children would love to visit the Historical and Folk Museum, which is located opposite the park. Special excursions and activities for children are held in the Archaeological Museum on a regular basis.

A trip to the Photo Film Museum can be very exciting; in addition to the exhibition, there are interesting events and workshops held in the museum that will certainly attract older children.

Unlike the cities mentioned above, Volos gives an opportunity not only to introduce a child to the culture but also to enjoy a beach holiday. The beaches are clean, sandy, and well-equipped here. For mothers with babies in strollers, Alykes beach will be more convenient since it is possible to reach it directly from the street of the city. In order to get to the two other beaches, you will need to go down the stairs, so these beaches are more suitable for leisure time with older children.

Volos is a coastal port city, therefore boys will certainly enjoy having a look at the ships. On the waterfront promenade, you can see the bronze copy of the legendary Argo, the ship of the Argonauts. The ship is modern, but it has been built according to ancient technologies. Be sure to take a walk along the promenade. In addition to the magnificent sea-scapes, there are many cafes, corner stores and pastry shops here – your little sweet tooth will surely want to try the traditional honey desserts.

Right from the promenade you can find the way to the Agios Konstantinos Park, although there are many sculptures and monuments here, it will be still nice just to wander for a while through the shaded walks of the park.

There are several museums in Volos. With children of school age, you can visit the Athanasakeion Archaeological Museum (the address is Athanasaki Str., 1). However, the museum is open from Thursday to Sunday and works just before noon. For elementary school children the museum provides an entertaining program, so the visit can be very useful and educational as well. If your children are interested in bugs and butterflies, you can also visit the Entomological Museum of Volos.

Be sure to ride the Pelion Train with your child. The old railway passes through very beautiful places. The train makes stops in the villages on the slopes of Mount Pelion and moves at low speed, so you can examine every detail of your journey. Both children and adults will be delighted with this trip.