Larissa

Limanaki (the small harbour) is a mooring point on the banks of the Pinios, north of Larissa city centre. No significant boat traffic occurs here; it is primarily a quiet spot along the riverside paths that lead along the Pinios to Alkazar Park.

The Diachronic Museum tells the story of western and central Thessaly in a continuous narrative, from prehistory to the Ottoman period. Rather than separate sections divided by epochs, the exhibition guides visitors chronologically through the settlement of the plain.Exhibits include finds from the districts of Larissa, Trikala, and Karditsa: Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery, grave stelae, coins and inscriptions from the Classical and Roman periods, as well as Byzantine and Ottoman holdings.The museum is located on the southeastern outskirts of the city on Mezourlo Hill and opened in November 2015. For a thorough visit, you should allow two hours.

The Municipal Art Gallery of Larissa traces its origins to the collection of physician Giorgos Katsigras, who bequeathed several hundred works by Greek painters to the city. Its holdings cover Greek art from the 19th century to the post-war period.Among the artists represented are Nikolaos Gyzis, Konstantinos Parthenis, and Yannis Tsarouchis, alongside works by the generation of the 1930s, who forged a distinct Greek modernism. The permanent exhibition is complemented by temporary exhibitions showcasing contemporary positions.This institution is one of the few venues outside Athens and Thessaloniki where Greek painting can be viewed in context. A visit takes approximately one hour.

The Frourio Hill is the acropolis of ancient Larissa and the only significant elevated point in a city that otherwise lies flat in the plain. On it, the construction phases of two and a half millennia have been superimposed.The most important structure is the Basilica of Agios Achillios from the 6th century, named after the Bishop of Larissa, who is said to have participated in the Council of Nicaea. From the early Christian complex, foundation walls, floor mosaics, and parts of the furnishings have been unearthed.Today, the hill is designed as a green space and is used for concerts in the evenings. From above, you overlook the old town, the theatre on the southern slope, and the Pinios to the north.

The First Ancient Theater, situated at the southern foot of Frourio Hill, was built into the hillside in the early 3rd century BC. It ranks among Greece's largest theater structures and, at its peak, accommodated several thousand spectators.It was used not only for performances but also as a meeting place for the Thessalian League; in Roman times, the orchestra was converted for animal fights. Afterwards, the complex disappeared beneath the city and was only rediscovered from 1910.The uncovering took decades because residential buildings and shops had to be demolished above the cavea first. Today, the theater lies in the heart of the pedestrian zone and can be viewed from above, even if it is not currently open for viewing.

The Bezesteni on Frourio Hill is an Ottoman market hall dating from the late 15th century. A register from 1506 lists it among the endowments of Gazi Ömer Bey. In Ottoman, Bezesten refers to the covered, lockable hall where textiles and valuables were traded.Today, primarily the outer walls remain. The six lead-covered domes, which once arched over a small room at the entrance, presumably the treasury, are lost. Until the opening of the Diachronic Museum in 2015, it housed the city's Byzantine collection.The Bezesteni stands a few steps from the First Ancient Theatre and can be combined with a visit to Frourio Hill.