Karditsa is a city that it is located at the heart of the Thessalian plain. Karditsa is a small town near Trikala with not many inhabitants and at calm rhythms that surely do not remind you the cities of Larissa or Volos. In Karditsa everything is rolling more relaxed and relaxed and you see it wherever you are in the city. Known especially for the large cycling network, Karditsa is also called the Amsterdam of Greece, due to the use of the bicycle by a large part of the population of Karditsa. And it is true that if you are circulating in the center and out of the center you will see people on bicycle. Generally, Karditsa is built on a plain and does not resemble a large city densely populated but within it you will find some interesting things if you visit it.
1. Pafsilipo Park. Pafsilipo means to soothe sadness. So, Pafsilipo is a huge park in Karditsa, at the center of which many residents of Karditsa choose to go for a walk or sit in the cafe there, also looking at the icebergs that roam around the park. Karditsa and Pafsilipo are two concepts that go together. In Pafsilipo, Pafsilipoupoli is also organized each year and in the days of Christmas, gathering young and old visitors. Next to Pafsilipo park you will find the statue of Nikolaos Plastiras.
2 Municipal Market. Municipal Market was built between 1925 and 1930. It is a building with pure geometry and symmetry on the axes East – West, North – South. The building of the Municipal Market was built in the free space of the square where, for decades, the folk market was at the very heart of the commercial life of the city. Within the building of the municipal market you will also find the fire brigade museum, which inside you have the opportunity to see various objects such as old signs and historical heirlooms.
3. Visit the park “thousand trees”
The park “thousand trees” is just 3 km away from the center of Karditsa and it is an Ottoman forest with old glory, ideal for afternoon or afternoon stroll. The “thousand trees” park (Paparantzas) served as a recreation area for the Ottoman women, who went there and enjoyed swinging on the swings hanging from towering trees, and that it was left from the old huge forest that occupied the entire Thessalian area. It was partially destroyed in 1897 during the occupation, but it was revitalized and interventions were made on it with benches and fountains. Inside “thousand trees” and at the entrance you will also find the church of Prophet Elias.
4. Of course, if you find yourself in Karditsa, you can not make an excursion, short or not, to Lake Plastira. Lake Plastira is 25 km away from Karditsa and is definitely a destination for many winter-summer visitors since the lake has many beauties.
5. Excursions and shorter trips around Karditsa. If you are in Karditsa and want to make a trip out of town then you can find destinations in every direction. A sure excursion to do is to the village of Fanari. Fanari is about 20 minutes from Karditsa following Fanari Street. There you can see the castle of Fanari, a castle built from the 13th century that stands there on the top of the village and was a fortress since it is in a position of great defensive importance in the passage from Trikala to Arta. There, near Fanari, there is the village of Kanalia of Karditsa. If you find yourself in Kanalia, you can go and wander in the village but also admire the view of the thessalian plain (as in the Fanari the view is also good). In Kanalia Karditsa there are many examples of traditional-continental architecture and the picturesque atmosphere and the many beauties of the village enchant you. In Kanalia you will also find the historical and folk museum of the village.
6. Nightlife in Karditsa? You will find a plethora of coffee bars located in the pedestrian streets of Karditsa and its squares. Try to have your coffee or drink at the bar blues. You will find a warm atmosphere and good music.
7 Archaeological Museum of Karditsa – This is a relatively new one from the museums in Karditsa since it was opened in May 2010 and inside the museum you will see exhibits dating from the Prehistoric and Palaeolithic times to Late Antiquity. Inside the museum you will also find places with the permanent exhibition of the museum, including photographs and exhibits, a room for educational programs and events, a library and a garden for events. The archaeological museum of Karditsa can be found in the center of Lahana 1 and Tzella Street.
8. Hotel Arni. A building that stands out in Karditsa. It is a 1921 neoclassical building built by the political and businessman Konstantinos Terpiti and owes its name in the name of the brother of Konstantinos Tertipi, Dimitriou, who fought victoriously the Turks in 1878 in the area of the prehistoric “Arni”. Previously this beautiful neoclassical building in Karditsa housed a theater room, a hotel, a reception hall. Today it operates as a hotel and Bistro.
9. Historical – Folklore Museum “L. & N. Sakellariou. It is opposite the Pafsilipo Park and the metropolitan temple. It is the old Folklore Museum. The museum has three floors, it has rooms for permanent and periodical exhibitions, a workshop for maintenance, a library and a record, a venue for events and educational programs and a shop. On the second floor you can see many objects of N. Plastira.
10. As you move to the center, do not forget to walk through the pedestrian street with umbrellas. You will find them on the pedestrian street of Kolokotroni street where you will see the umbrellas in various colors hanging and giving color winter – summer. Karditsa, as we said above, has a large bicycle path network. Try to get around and take your bike ride in the city.
