(350 km from Athens)

According to archaeological evidence, the capital of Thessaly lies atop a site that has been inhabited since the tenth millennium before Christ.

A major commercial and industrial centre, Larissa sits in the middle of the plain of Thessaly, a few kilometres off the Athens-Thessaloniki National Road. Tradition has it that Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, died here.

Worth seeing are the medieval fortress, Alcazar Park and the ancient theatre. Not to be missed are the Archaeological Museum with its rich exhibits of paleolithic and archaic artifacts and the Art Gallery, with its admirable collection of fine paintings.

The Pinios River flowing through the town and the old mansions with their spacious courtyards and luxuriant gardens give Larissa a charm all its own.

Other places worth seeing in the Prefecture of Larissa are the enchanting emerald valley of Agia, idyllic Stomio with its bottomless springs andAgiokambos and its enormous beach. The latter two localities are ideal summer holiday spots.