Tessaglia
Anyone crossing Thessaly by train or car immediately notices a tear in the landscape: kilometres of wheat and cotton fields as fla...
Updated 9 July 2026
Tessaglia
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Tessaglia now
The story
The story of Tessaglia
History: from the Thessalians to the Ottomans
In antiquity Thessaly was organised into a league of city-states — Larissa, Pherae and Crannon among others — ruled by aristocratic families such as the Aleuadae and famous throughout Greece for the excellence of their cavalry, born of the vast plains that allowed horse breeding on a large scale. In the 4th century BC the region came under Macedonian control under Philip II, later following the fortunes of Rome and Byzantium. The Ottoman conquest, between the 14th and 15th centuries, marked a long period of domination that lasted until 1881, when Thessaly was annexed to the Kingdom of Greece: a union that came later than for the rest of the mainland, leaving visible traces in the architecture of Trikala and Larissa. Further back in time, near Volos, the Neolithic sites of Sesklo and Dimini preserve some of the oldest permanent settlements in Europe, dating back to the 7th millennium BC.
Meteora, the suspended monasteries
The sandstone pinnacles that dominate the plain near Kalambaka and Kastraki were formed by the millennia-long erosion of an ancient river delta, and their extreme verticality made them, as early as the 11th century, a refuge for hermits seeking isolation. It was in the 14th century, however, that monastic life became organised into stable communities: the monk Athanasios the Meteorite founded the Great Meteoron on the highest rock in 1356, giving rise to a complex that eventually numbered twenty-four monasteries. For centuries access was possible only by removable nets and ladders hauled up by hand, a system designed specifically to keep raiders and intruders away. Today six survive, still inhabited by monks and nuns, reachable by steps cut into the rock in the 1920s. Unesco recognised Meteora as a World Heritage Site in 1988, for the site's combined natural and spiritual value.
- Great Meteoron, the highest and oldest, founded by Athanasios in 1356
- Varlaam, with 16th-century frescoes and a small museum
- Roussanou, perched on a narrow spur, today a convent for nuns
- St Nicholas Anapafsas, the closest to Kastraki
- St Stephen, the only one reachable without steep steps
- Holy Trinity (Agia Triada), made famous by the James Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only'
Pelion, land of the centaurs
The mountainous peninsula of Pelion stretches between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean, covered in woods of chestnut, beech and apple trees that have earned it the nickname of the 'green mountain'. Myth held it to be inhabited by centaurs and the wise Chiron, who is said to have trained Achilles here in the arts of war and medicine; in historical reality, its stone villages arose between the 17th and 18th centuries thanks to merchants and intellectuals who, enjoying tax privileges under Ottoman rule, invested their wealth in stately mansions (archontika), paved squares shaded by centuries-old plane trees and carved fountains. The result is an almost alpine landscape, surprising just a few kilometres from the sea, where every village retains its own character: some look down on the gulf from above, some live off apple orchards, others preserve libraries and frescoed churches.
- Makrinitsa, the 'balcony of Pelion' overlooking Volos
- Portaria, amid springs and old mills
- Zagora, heart of Pelion's apple production
- Tsagarada, with a plane tree over a thousand years old
- Milies, with its historic library and railway museum
- Vyzitsa, among the best preserved from an architectural point of view
The little train of Pelion
Among the curiosities of the peninsula is a narrow-gauge railway commissioned at the start of the 20th century and designed by the Italian engineer Evaristo de Chirico, father of the painter Giorgio de Chirico, who was working in Greece at the time. The line connected Volos to the mountainous hinterland; today the tourist stretch between Ano Lechonia and Milies survives, fifteen kilometres covered by a steam locomotive nicknamed 'Moutzouris', the sooty one, which passes through tunnels, chestnut woods and a distinctive stone bridge over the Taxiarchis stream. The journey, now seasonal, remains one of the most evocative ways to savour the Pelion landscape at a slow pace, with stops that allow passengers to get off and photograph the vintage wooden carriages.
Volos and the myth of the Argonauts
A modern port city overlooking the Pagasetic Gulf, Volos stands near ancient Iolcus, from where legend has it that Jason set sail with the ship Argo and his crew of heroes in search of the Golden Fleece in far-off Colchis. The city has turned the myth into part of its identity: a replica of the ship Argo, built using ancient shipbuilding techniques, is moored on the waterfront. Volos is today a lively university town, with a promenade enlivened by tsipouradika, the typical taverns where every glass of spirit is accompanied by a small free snack. The city's archaeological museum houses finds from the nearby Neolithic sites of Sesklo and Dimini, among the most important in Europe for the prehistoric period.
Larissa, capital of the plain
Set on the banks of the Pineios river, Larissa is the administrative capital of Thessaly and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Greece: tradition has it that Hippocrates, the father of medicine, died and is buried here. Frourio hill preserves the remains of the ancient theatre and of later Byzantine and Ottoman fortifications, while Alkazar park runs along the river, offering a long stretch of greenery in the heart of the city. Less touristy than Volos or Kalambaka, Larissa lives an authentic everyday life made up of markets, crowded cafés and a food scene that reflects the agricultural wealth of the plain surrounding it.
Trikala, the Lithaios river and the Varousi quarter
Trikala stands on the acropolis of ancient Trikke, crowned by a castle that combines Byzantine and Ottoman layers and overlooks the Lithaios river, crossed by old bridges and lined with open-air cafés. At the foot of the fortress lies Varousi, the quarter of colourful late-Ottoman-style houses that is among the best preserved in mainland Greece, its clock tower marking the centre. Trikala is also the most convenient gateway to Meteora, a handful of kilometres away, and to the Pindus mountains, where the nearby mountain village of Elati has earned a reputation as Greece's 'Christmas village' for its wintery atmosphere among fir trees and stone cottages.
The great Thessalian plain and the Pineios river
The Thessalian plain is the largest agricultural area in Greece, a mosaic of wheat, cotton and orchards enclosed by a ring of mountains — Pindus, Olympus, Ossa, Pelion — that isolate it almost completely from the rest of the country. Crossing it is the Pineios, the region's longest river, which after watering Larissa and Trikala flows out to sea by cutting through the Vale of Tempe, the narrow and spectacular gorge carved between Olympus and Ossa, to which Greek myth attributed the passage of Apollo chasing after the nymph Daphne in love. This age-old fertility is also behind the fame of Thessalian cavalry in antiquity: no other Greek region had pastures wide enough to sustain horse breeding on this scale.
Mount Olympus
On Thessaly's northern border, between the territory of Elassona and neighbouring Macedonian Pieria, rises Mount Olympus, Greece's highest mountain, with the peak of Mytikas at 2,917 metres, in mythology the home of the twelve Olympian gods. Declared the country's first national park in 1938, it offers a network of trails and refuges that attract hikers from all over Europe, with environments that change within a few hours from Mediterranean oak woods to beech forests, up to the bare rock of the summit. From the Thessalian side, less trodden than the Litochoro side in Pieria, the mountain villages around Elassona offer quieter access and views stretching down to the plain below.
The beaches of the Pagasetic Gulf
Enclosed almost entirely by the Pelion peninsula, the Pagasetic Gulf behaves like a great sea-lake: calm waters, milder temperatures than the open Aegean, and a swimming season that stretches from May to October. Along the coast lie villages one after another such as Afissos, Horto, Milina and Kalamos, where olive groves run down almost to the water's edge and beachside taverns serve the day's catch. It is the ideal sea for families with small children and for anyone looking for a relaxed swim after a trip through the mountain villages, reachable in a few minutes' drive from almost all the villages of southern Pelion.
The Aegean side of Pelion
On the opposite side of the peninsula, the one facing the open Aegean, the landscape changes register: the waters are cooler and choppier, the coasts steeper, the pines coming down almost to the shoreline. Small coves such as Mylopotamos, with its two twin bays separated by a rock, or Fakistra and Papa Nero, reachable only via woodland paths, reward the effort with spectacular views. The little harbour of Damouchari, with its colourful boats, owes part of its recent fame to being a filming location for 'Mamma Mia!', but remains above all an authentic corner of coastal Pelion, less crowded than the gulf's beaches.
Tsipouro and spetzofai: the flavours of Thessaly
Thessalian cuisine reflects the region's double nature, mountain and plain. Pelion's signature dish is spetzofai, a stew of local sausages and peppers slow-cooked in their own sauce, often served with homemade bread; tsipouro is never missing from the table, the grape-marc spirit produced throughout the region and especially around Tyrnavos, near Larissa, where every glass is traditionally accompanied by a small mezze offered by the house. Among the mountain products, Zagora apples, chestnuts from the woods of Pelion, honey and mountain tea gathered on the highest slopes stand out, while the plain supplies cheeses, grains and vegetables that reach the tables of the cities every day.
Traditions and popular festivals
Few Greek festivals are as colourful as the Tsiknopempti of Tyrnavos, the 'Smoky Thursday' of Carnival on which the small town near Larissa celebrates the propitiatory rite of the Bourani, a procession with wooden phallic symbols carried around amid singing and dancing, a legacy of ancient fertility cults linked to the grape harvest and today recognised as part of Greece's intangible cultural heritage. In the villages of Pelion, on the other hand, summer brings the panigyria, the patron-saint festivals of individual villages, with live music, dancing in the square until late at night and communal tables; at Meteora, by contrast, the pace remains the one set by monastic services, which visitors are asked to respect with appropriate dress and behaviour.
When to go and how to experience Thessaly
Spring, from April to June, and early autumn, between September and October, are the best seasons to walk on Pelion or Olympus and to visit Meteora, with mild temperatures and without the crowds of summer coaches. Summer remains the natural choice for the sea of the Pagasetic Gulf, even though the heat on the plain can become intense; winter, often underrated, turns Pelion into a snow destination, with the Chania ski slope above Portaria and the stone villages wrapped in mist coming alive with chestnut and new-wine festivals. Those with limited time can focus on Meteora and Pelion in three or four days; those wanting to add the plain and Olympus should allow at least a week.
FAQ
Quanti giorni servono per visitare la Tessaglia?
Come si arriva alle Meteore da Atene?
Le Meteore si possono visitare in un giorno?
Dove si parcheggia alle Meteore?
Il Pelio è adatto a famiglie con bambini?
Qual è la stagione balneare nel golfo Pagasetico?
Getting there
- Aeroporto Nazionale di Nea Anchialos (Volos), circa 20 km da Volos, voli nazionali e charter stagionali
- Aeroporto Internazionale di Salonicco 'Macedonia' (SKG), circa 150 km da Larissa, il più fornito di collegamenti internazionali
- Aeroporto Internazionale di Atene 'Eleftherios Venizelos', circa 350 km da Larissa
- Linea Atene–Salonicco con fermata a Larissa, principale snodo ferroviario della regione
- Diramazione per Kalambaka (Meteore) con collegamento diretto anche da Atene
- Diramazione Larissa–Volos
- L'autostrada E75 Atene–Salonicco attraversa la piana tessala con uscite per Larissa; strade statali collegano poi Volos a est e Trikala/Kalambaka a ovest.
- Per esplorare il Pelio conviene noleggiare un'auto a Volos: le strade di montagna sono strette e tortuose e i mezzi pubblici collegano solo i villaggi principali con poche corse al giorno.
Perfect for
Dal Pelio dei centauri a Volos e agli Argonauti, la Tessaglia è la regione greca più densa di racconti mitologici legati a luoghi reali e visitabili.
Sentieri sul Pelio, sull'Olimpo e tra le rocce delle Meteore per camminate che alternano bosco, roccia e panorami sulla piana.
Le acque calme del golfo Pagasetico, con spiagge sabbiose poco profonde, sono ideali per soggiorni con bambini piccoli.
I monasteri delle Meteore e il quartiere Varousi di Trikala raccontano secoli di storia bizantina e ottomana ancora vissuta.
Tsipouro, spetzofai e i mezzédes delle tsipouradika di Volos offrono un assaggio diretto della cucina popolare tessala.
To see
What to see in Tessaglia
Routes · Trovido Route
