Setting
out for the Meteora form Athens, one eventually comes to Karditsa,
the capital of the homonymous prefecture, built on the banks of a
tributary of the Pinios. With its three main squares and lovely Pafsilipo
Park, this new town is a model of town planning. It has three museums -
the Christian Museum, devoted to religious art, and two exhibiting
folk-art. Its name comes from the Greek meaning of the word
"heart" (kardia in Greek language). It belongs to the Thessalia
region and the nearest neighbouring cities around Karditsa are the :
Larisa, Trikala, Arta, Karpenisi, Lamia and Volos. It is very near to the
highest Greek mountain: Olympus where the 12 Ancient Greek Gods
were used to live. About 40,000 people are living there and it is mostly
an agricultural area.
It
is worth taking the trip to N. Plastira, an artificial lake 800 metres
above sea level, set amidst the spectacular Agrafa mountains, the
unspoiled villages of Mesenikolas, Bezoula, Neohori and Kastania (where
rooms can be rented for the night): as well as the summer resort of
Neraida where is an inn. In the vicinity of the Megdova (Tavropos) dam,
four parks have been created, and the whole region will be developed for
tourism. In the vicinity of the Megdova (Tavropos) dam, four parks have
been created, and the whole region will be developed for tourism.
Other
poles of attraction for the visitor are the Smokovo and Kaitsa
spas, filia with its sanctuary to Athena Itonia, the Mycenaean beehive
tomb (1500 B.C.) outside Georgiko and the many other ancient and Byzantine
monuments scattered throughout the prefecture.
Plastiras
lake - The
most beautiful place in Karditsa is the Plastiras Lake
. It is an artificial lake (from 1954) on the top of a 900 m.
mountain, and is the highest lake of Greece and Balcany area. It was an
idea of one of the greatest Greek politician men from Karditsa: Nikolaos
Plastiras who was born in the beautiful village "Vounesi".
The Pafsilipo Park , with many huge and old trees. The name "Pafsilipo" comes from the logo combination of two Greek words: "pafsi" that means "pause" and the word "lipi" meaning "sad". It is real a place where you can make a pause to your sad day and your problems. There is a long pedestrian street which leads to this park. This street is full of pubs and cafeterias, while in its vertical roads you can find the traditional "ouzeri" where can drink "ouzo" (tsipoyro - as it is more familiar in Karditsa) and wine, the two traditional and national Greek drinks.
