Trikala Old Town

Trikala grew where the Lithaios river leaves the mountains, and the old quarter of Varousi climbs the slope below the fortress: narrow lanes of nineteenth-century houses with wooden overhangs and painted plaster, mostly restored, with small churches tucked between them. Above stands the castle, Byzantine on ancient foundations and remodelled by the Ottomans, with a clock tower and a park inside the walls looking over the Thessalian plain. Below, the river runs through the centre under stone and iron footbridges, its banks lined with cafes; the Kursum mosque of the sixteenth century, attributed to the school of the architect Sinan, stands nearby with a fine dome. Trikala was the birthplace of Asclepius in tradition, and the town is unusually walkable and green for a Thessalian city.

What you actually see

• Varousi - the restored quarter of nineteenth-century houses on the slope.
• The fortress - Byzantine and Ottoman walls with a clock tower and park.
• The Lithaios riverside - footbridges and cafe terraces through the centre.
• The Kursum mosque - a domed sixteenth-century building near the river.

When to go

Spring and autumn for comfortable walking; the Thessalian plain is very hot in July and August and cold and foggy in midwinter. Evenings along the river are the town's social hour.

Honest expectations

Beyond Varousi and the riverside, Trikala is an ordinary provincial city. The fortress interior is largely a park rather than a monument. Several Varousi houses are private and closed.

Nearby

Porta Panagia and Pyli lie southwest; Meteora is half an hour north.