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Trikala City
Trikala |
Welcome to Trikala!
The city of Trikala has a population of about 60,000 people and is located within the prefecture of the same name in the fertile plain of Northwestern Thesssaly, in central Greece. Built near the Litheos River, it lies on St. Nicolas Heights and is divided into two by an old aqueduct. It has many small forests and excellent areas for those interested in sport climbing as the Koziakas Mountain range is within easy reach.
Located about 300km from Athens and just over 200km from Thessaloniki, this city is accessible yet not overrun with tourism, which enables it to maintain it’s natural beauty and cultural traditions. The city is crowned by its Byzantine Castle (The Fortress), at the top of a wooded hill, built on the site of the ancient Acropolis. The castle, which is not far from the temple of Aesculapius (physician-god), was built in Byzantine times on Hellenistic ruins and underwent many changes under Ottoman rule. The fortress is closed to the public except for special events, but the outer walls host attractive gardens and a pleasantly shaded terrace café.
From the hill of Profitis Elias one has an excellent view of the valley below and it’s many charming villages, the river cutting patterns among them. Excavations have brought to light more remains: a Roman Bath of the 3rd century A.D. and an imposing Hellenistic building with marvellous mosaic floors of the Roman period. There are quite a few houses from the Ottoman era in the Varousi district at the north end of town.
Not far downriver you will find the “Koursoum Tzami,” a recently restored sixteenth-century mosque, built by the great architect Sinan, of Greek ancestry. It is his only work found on Greek soil. The mosque is a lovely accompaniment to the towns numerous stone churches, such as Agios Demetrios and Agii Anargyri which lend a more Byzantine character to the modern town.
The liveliest part of town surrounds the central Platía Iróön Polytekhníou on the riverside, with a statue of local hero Stefanos Sarafis, commander of ELAS during the civil war. Rebétika great, Vassilis Tsitsanis, also hailed from here and, he too, is honored by the street bearing his name, heading east from the platía. The platia is a heaven for shopping, dining and sipping coffee while watching those passing by and it comes to life at night with many places to go for dancing and drinks.
Trikala also has a museum, which houses the Archeological Collection of Trikala, and several ancient and Byzantine monuments. The site of Meteora is only about a 15-minute drive from the main town of Trikala, making this city a good base for all of your Central Greece explorations.
Trikala Train Station |
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Trikala |
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Trikala St. Konstantine Church |
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Osman Shah Mosque in Trikala |
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Trikaka City Houses |
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State Prison at Trikala |
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Trikala Train Station |
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Trikala Litheos River |
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Trikala Litheos River |
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Trikala Litheos River Main Bridge |
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