Geography of Trikala
Trikala is a region situated in the north part of Thessaly. The neighbouring regions are Grevena to the north, Larisa to the west, Karditsa to the south, Arta and Ioannina to the east. The region spans an area of 3.384 sq. km. and a total population of 137.723 inhabitants. The capital city of the region is Trikala. Most of the region’s land is mountainous, part of Pindus mountain range of Epirus, while part of it on the south is part of the large Thessalian Plain.

History of Trikala
The region has been inhabited since ancient times as the Paleolithic findings that were detected in the cave of Theopetra indicate. In 480 BC the area was subjugated to the Persians, in the campaign against the Greeks. In 352 BC joined the state of Philip II of Macedon and in 324 BC followed Alexander the Great against the Persians. With the victory of the Romans in 197 BC the region has witnessed the devastation as it was the last force that resisted stubbornly against the Romans with the last unfortunate battle of Pydna in 167 BC. From the very first century the region is dominated by Christianity and in Byzantine times suffered repeated attacks by Goths, Huns, Slavs, Saracens and Normans and became part of the Despotate of Epirus. The invasion of the Turks in the 14th century caused oppression, heavy taxation and misery as the fertile land passed into the hands of the conquerors. Many residents fled to the inaccessible mountainous areas to survive and enjoy freedom. The region of Trikala was released in 1881, but after the unfortunate war of 1897 went back to the Turks until 1898 when was finally released.

Sightseeing in Trikala
The lovely city of Trikala is a modern city with a slow paced life style, surrounded by gardens and the river Litheos flowing across it with a restored Byzantine Fortress. On the other side of town is the Koursoun Tzami, built in the 16th century by Sinan Pasha, the same architect who built the Blue Mosque in İstanbul. Escape in the nature and visit the once-remote mountainous areas of Elati and Pertouli, Pyrra, Kotroni, Raxa, Pyli, Chrisomilia with breathtaking alpine scenery with dense forests and a ski centre. But the main attraction of the region is Meteora overlooking the plain of Kalambaka. The towering outcrops of rocks had become the solitary abodes of hermit monks since the 11th century forming the second important monastic complex in Greece after that of Mount Athos with 24 monasteries built on these rocks. Today, six are active religious sites, occupied by monks or nuns and visited by the pilgrims and tourists alike.

Useful Phone Numbers in Trikala
Police of Trikala: +30 24310 63010
Tourist Police of Trikala: +30 24320 76600
Hospital of Trikala: +30 24310 23652-4
Bus services in Trikala: +30 24310 73130
Railway in Trikala: +30 24310 27214
Ski Centre in Pertouli: +30 24340 91385