Culture of Thessalia Region. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Thessaly is surprisingly diverse and rich in regards to various cultural, historical and natural treasures. In order to visit all the iconic locations, you will have to travel.

The Meteora is one of the main places attracting tourists’ attention. This is a pilgrimage destination, which is visited by thousands of Orthodox Christians from all over the world. The monasteries are accessible by suspension bridges or stone stairs, the cellars are located directly inside the rocks. Settled on the cliffs, they look really amazing.

Be sure to visit Lake Plastiras, it is an artificial lake, which is small, but remarkably beautiful. One more place to go is the National Marine Park of Alonnisos. Besides the sea area, the park includes the island of Alonnisos, six smaller islands, as well as 22 uninhabited islets and rocky outcrops. Here you can see rare species of animals and birds, the most characteristic ones to be found are monk seals and dolphins.

There are few sightseeing attractions in Volos. However, here you can find several interesting museums, for example, the Archaeological Museum (Athanasaki 1). This one of the oldest archaeological museums in Greece houses a great wealth of findings. Considering that the excavations are actively conducted in Thessaly, it constantly increases the number of its new exhibits. It is highly advisable to put on your list the Museum of Printing and Industrial History, which is small, but also rather interesting. The Municipal Gallery also is of interest for those who love contemporary art. It is housed in the Town Hall and exhibits a collection of paintings and sculptures by modern Greek artists. Don't miss a visit to the Castle of Volos. There are some interesting churches in the city, first of all, this is the Church of Agioi Konstantinos and Eleni. Also worth a visit are the Cathedral Church of Agios Nicholas and the Church of Metamorphosis. And, of course, you cannot help but visit the city port, which has splendid views over the open sea. Without a doubt, this is the most impressive corner of the city, enhanced by a reproduction of the legendary ship Argo, which carried Jason and the 50 Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. Finally, the Pelion Railway is a unique feature of the area and all tourists are intent on having a trip by the little train of De Chirico. Its route runs along Mount Pelion with stops in small villages located on the mount slopes. In Greek mythology, Mount Pelion was an area inhabited by the mysterious centaurs – half-man, half horse creatures. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In Trikala, a city in northwestern Thessaly, in addition to the excursions to the Meteora, you can see the ruins of the ancient Asclepeion, a healing temple, devoted to the God Asclepius, the Byzantine castle, and the Osman Shah Mosque built by Mimar Sinan. Of course, there is the National Archaeological Museum in Trikala, located at 25th of March St. Moreover, the real historical neighborhood of Varoussi with its beautiful narrow streets and colorful houses of the last several centuries is a great place for walking. Trikala also has its own fortress. On the northeast corner of the city, you will find the Frourio Fortress with its characteristic clock. In the summertime, various performances and concerts are held here. The City Museum is very interesting; at the same time, it is the Centre for History and Culture, where you can see a lot of exhibits related to different periods and spheres of the city life. We recommend visiting the Mycenaean tholos tomb; inside this grand burial mound, gold jewelry and statues in marble were found. This memorial is open for free visits every day.

In Larissa you need to get a sight of the Acropolis and the First Ancient Theatre, which is one of the few monuments that are in a fine state of preservation nowadays. Here you can see the monument of Hippocrates and visit the Museum of Medicine. Furthermore, there is a marble tablet with the Hippocrates’s oath and aphorisms written on it as well as tablets with other pieces of his work. A visitor can also see a marble replica of the stone that covered Hippocrates’s tomb as well as exhibits that show how this famous doctor cured his patients. It will be interesting for tourists to visit the Folklore Museum and the unique Doll Museum and Tiritomba Puppetry. Every exhibit of this museum is a hand-made product of the local craftsmen. Pay a visit to the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of National Resistance, and the Museum of the Hellenic Veterinary Military Service; the two last-mentioned museums will be interesting for those who are curious about military history. Do not miss a chance to get to the very beautiful Tempi valley, which is crossed by Pineios (Peneus) river; moreover, this valley is a home for lots of Laurel trees.

Another cultural center of the region is Karditsa; there are many interesting museums in the city, so we recommend spending at least a couple of days here. In addition to the Archaeological Museum, you can visit the Water Supply Museum, dedicated to the history of water supply systems of the city, the Municipal Historical – Ethnological Museum 'L. & N. Sakellariou', which presents an excellent collection of jewelry, household items, books, and costumes. One of the popular tourist centers of the city is the Photo Film Museum.

Since Thessaly is the agrarian center of the country, it is worth visiting the Agrarian Museum, located in the town of Itea. There is also the Devotional Art Museum here, which exhibits various ornaments, icons, murals of the Byzantine era and other periods.

Visit the Archaic Temple of Apollo at ancient Metropolis. The ruins of this great building are one of the most valuable finds not only in the region but also in the whole country. Here you can see the fresco paintings and various ceramic products. Today, even those who are not familiar with the history of Greece know about 300 Spartans. So, exactly in Thessaly, there is the famous narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae, where the legendary battle took place in August or September 480 BC.