The fact that ancient Trikki was, according to the geographer of the 1st century BC Strabo, the birthplace of the god of Medicine, Asclepius, has given it timeless glamor over time. The oldest written mention of Trikki is found in the Homeric catalogue of ships, where it is mentioned that the city participated in the expeditionary force of the Greeks in the Trojan War with 30 ships and leaders the two sons of Asclepius, Machaon and Podaleirios, who had been taught the medical art by their father. The ancient city extended from the northern banks of the Lithaios River to the hill of the Byzantine castle, but few traces of it are visible, due to continuous habitation. On the contrary, what is visible to the naked eye in Trikala is the familiarity with new technologies that have given the city the unofficial title of the most "Hi-Tech" city in Greece.

The Lithaios River has been the reference point of the city from ancient times and remains so today. Over 10 bridges cross the river, but it is the central one, a wonderful metal construction, that wins the eyes. It is also known as "French" because it was designed and built in 1886 by French engineers of the company "Thessaly Railways" and is the classic meeting point of the city.

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Walking in the city

Starting from the "French" bridge, and after admiring the landscape with the plane trees on the banks of the Lithaios, most visitors choose to start their acquaintance with Trikala from the Asklipiou pedestrian street, the most "lively" street of the city, south of the river. The street, which the Trikalinos call "Paralia", gathers dozens of commercial stores and cafes and is bustling with movement almost all hours of the day. The extension of the pedestrian street reaches the Railway Station.

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Returning to the "French" bridge and passing to the north of Lithaios are the Manavika, a once infamous neighborhood that housed brothels, but transformed into another pole of the city's social life, with the opening of restaurants, mezedopolia  and tasteful bars. Nevertheless, the most famous point of Manavika is the 150 square meter mural, which turned the awkward wall of an apartment building into a work of art.

Where Manavika ends, the Varousi begins, the old city of Trikala which experienced great prosperity between the 17th and 19th centuries, when most of the mansions that the visitor admires today were built. The walk in the narrow alleys offers a wonderful journey in time. Above Varousi, dominates the Byzantine Fortress and the Clock Tower which is the "trademark" of the city.

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Cultural Spaces

Trikala has a great cultural tradition and its contribution especially in the field of folk music is enormous. The composer Apostolos Kaldaras, the lyricist Kostas Virvos, the great singer Dimitris Mitropanos were all Trikalinos! But above all stands, leading and unsurpassed, the great figure of Vasilis Tsitsanis. If you want to learn everything about the life and work of the great folk bard, a visit to the impressive Tsitsanis Research - Museum Center is a must.

Next to the Tsitsanis Museum is one of the most important monuments of Trikala, the Osman Shah Mosque also known as "Koursoum" or "Koursoun" ("lead") mosque, which today is used as a venue for cultural events.  It is the only work of the leading architect of the Ottoman Empire, Mimar Sinan, in Greece. We should note that Mimar Sinan was of Greek origin, from the village of Agioi Anargyroi (now "Agirnas") of Caesarea. 

Another important cultural space is the Kliafa History and Culture Center where a museum of local history and an industrial museum operate, while it also has a large hall for cultural events and a library with 6,000 books. 

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A very important industrial monument of the city is the Matsopoulos Mill which was the first industrial flour mill built in Greece and the largest in the Balkans. The Mill operated for a century (1884 - 1984) and has been declared a historical preserved monument. Today it has been transformed into a multi-purpose art and culture space that includes the Industrial Museum, a cinema hall, a summer cinema, theater, painting and sculpture workshops and a cafeteria. For more than a month, during the Christmas season, it is transformed into the Mill of the Elves, the "Christmas Village" that has transformed Trikala into the top festive destination in Greece!

Spread amphitheatrically on the slopes of Titaros, Livadi impresses the visitor from the first, distant glance. The large slope of the village offers unobstructed, satisfying views of Olympus, from almost every neighborhood. It seems to have been there forever, but it is relatively "new". History has it that the village was founded "only" in the 17th century by Vlach livestock farmers, who came down from even higher, following, according to legend, a mare that was looking for a warmer climate to give birth. Apart from being "new", Livadi is also very "lively" with over 2000 permanent residents, most of whom are proud Vlachs who stubbornly continue to speak their language.

The most eminent compatriot was Georgakis Olympios. A member of the Filiki Eterias, Armatolos of Olympus and close associate of Alexandros Ypsilantis, he met a glorious death in September 1821 in Moldovlachia when, taking part in the Struggle in the Paradanubian regions, he blew up the gunpowder warehouse of the Sekkou Monastery to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Ottomans. His paternal home has been transformed into a folklore museum where you can learn a lot about his history and the old way of life in Livadi.

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Gastronomic Journey

You will learn even more if you visit the Women's Cooperative "O Sofras" and the homonymous tavern. Here you will taste traditional flavors, nettle pies, stewed zygouri, yaprakia, handmade trachanas and their famous "good" xinotyri cheese, the "kasou nti bounlou". Beyond the impressive gastronomic journey, the women of the cooperative will take you on a mental journey with their descriptions of the great festivals of the Holy Spirit, the Prophet Elijah and the Fifteenth of August and will tell you about the special customs of New Year's, with the bells that drive away evil spirits, the meat pie they eat instead of vasilopita and the special Vlachian magiritsa, the "bazavousa". And of course they will praise the excellent local products, mainly cheeses and meats, which bring crowds of people to the village every weekend.

In the vicinity of the village, it is worth visiting three important monasteries, of Agioi Anargyroi, Agia Triada and Prophet Elias with this last one offering the most beautiful view of Olympus. Going up towards the peak of Titaros (1839 meters), if you are lucky you will see herds of wild horses galloping freely. Perhaps some of them are descendants of that first mare that brought the first inhabitants to Livadi.