Greece is as full of islands as it is of preconceived ideas. These include the only country with white houses that are inevitably Cycladic, dreamlike beaches and colonnades, but with the added bonus of sunshine.
Discovering an unknown and authentic Greece
All true. Except that youonly have to go a little further north than Delphi to discover another country. Especially when the Cyclades and southern Greece are often saturated, especially in the height of summer. And that meeting the locals, so desirable at times, is reduced to the bare minimum that mass tourism sometimes allows.
However, authenticity is within easy reach as you head up to northern Greece, and more precisely to Thessaly, 300 kilometers from Athens (about a 4-hour drive). The region is beautiful, both mountainous and flat, and little-known apart from Mount Pelion and Meteora. And it’s on the western side that we’ve chosen to focus.
Thessaly at its best
Thessaly is our favorite region, as much for the variety of its landscapes, its history from antiquity to the present day, as for its gastronomy, its fine wines and its large monasteries.
Those who make the trip will at last be able to discover these untouristy but lively regions. Open, welcoming and yet modern – in other words, contemporary in the way Greeks, and Greeks alone, live and practice their daily lives.Without unnecessary folklore, but with all that remains of authentic daily traditions and customs.
Trikala
Trikala, the capital of Western Thessaly, has everything to dazzle you without overwhelming you. The Byzantine fortress, the tavern district, the Tsitsanis Museum of popular Rebetiko music, the vestiges of the Ottoman era, the boulevard of cafés and their terraces, the small music bistros of the locals for the locals, not forgetting the river Luteos and its bridges, including the central bridge, the work of two French engineers in the late 19th century, which is a micrograph of the Alexandre-III bridge in Paris.
Trikala is a busy place. The city is indeed alive. Especially every Monday at local market time, except that they’re not tourists and you’ll never feel like you’re in the alleys of Mykonos in the middle of summer. Then, first the nearby villages, then those higher up, offer the traveler-turned-observer a certain idea of the real Greek country.
The largely mountainous region is as rich in monuments, from prehistory to the last decades of the 20th century, as it is in natural and architectural beauty, local life and gastronomy.
Historical eras meet through their traces, stone villages that have embodied the free and cultivated spirit of this other Greece, and also a nature to be discovered… urgently, because for the moment (!), far from the beaten paths of mass tourism. A true journey through the Hellenic past and present, in all its beauty and in contact with the soul of the region.
What to see in Thessaly Meteora… and much more
Of course, we can’t forget Meteora . It’s the only really popular site in Western Thessaly, this imposing mass of rock overlooking the town of Kalambaka, between the mountains of Pindus and Chassia. Enter the mystical world of Meteora, the famous rock-perched monasteries that are one of Greece’s most beautiful sights.
But opposite and to the west, there are other towns perched on the Pindus mountains. And also the gorges and plateaus of Pyli, Elati and Pertouli, places of history and memory. In Pyli, you’ll find the Byzantine church of Porta Panagía, a magnificent basilica built in the 13th century on the still visible architectural remains of an ancient temple. According to archaeologists specializing in the period, it is one of the most important Byzantine monuments in all Greece.
Finally, 30 kilometers from Trikala, there are the villages perched on the Agrafa mountains, in the heart of the Greek countryside, where history and memory meet.
Between two partly mountainous counties (Trikala and Karditsa), we enter the humid highlands of Thessaly. This is Lake Plastira, with its landscaped beaches, a former high plateau essential to the survival of the mountain people, but also a former airfield – the only one to operate under the control of the Greek Resistance during the Nazi occupation.
Then Western Thessaly awaits you, while there’s still time, because this is Greece in all its flexibility and freedom.
In short, sunshine and intelligence. For discerning and curious travellers!
For an authentic and responsible trip, discover Western Thessaly with Panagiotis
If you’d like to discover Western Thessaly, don’t hesitate to contact Panagiotis, a leading player in responsible travel in Greece.
Panagiotis offers to accompany you on a tour of his native region.
Panagiotis is an ethnologist and historian, fluent in French. And he’ll share his passion for his region with you. It offers return trips from Athens over a few days (minimum three days on site). With an à la carte program. Possibility of visiting Delphi on the way.
♥ All the authenticity of made-to-measure!
In contact with local realities, and the whole unexpected world of mountain Greece!
In practice :
- 2 to 6 participants
- comfortable, air-conditioned off-road vehicle for a minimum of 3 days
- Panagiotis will be your driver and also your cultural guide.
- excursions organized from March to November
- an à la carte program to suit your needs
- Single rate 390 €/day for groups of 2 to 6 (for 6 participants, this comes to 65€/person/day), including vehicle, fuel, tolls and parking, as well as guide and driver services. However, meals and accommodation are not included.
To find out more, please contact Panagiotis : info@vivreathenes.com
Thanks to Panagiotis G. for writing this article
