Capital of Thessaly, Larissa is an important Greek business and industrial centre, around 350 km north-west of Athens. The city has been inhabited since ancient times and prides itself to have been the resting place of father of medicine, Hippocrates. From the 15th to the 19th century, Larissa (then called Yeni Sehir) has been a major Ottoman military and administrative centre with a strong Jewish community and booming trade. Since its annexation to Greece in 1881 Larissa retained its position as a significant town of the Greek mainland.
Larissa’s historic centre retains some of the features of the town’s architectural heritage, such as a 19th-century flour mill, a mosque, a 16th-century Turkish bath (Bouyouk Hamam) and many 19th and early 20th century neoclassical buildings. Two ancient theatres survive from the 3rd century BC, while the Castle has been used from the Neolithic period and through to the 19th century. River Pinios runs through the town its banks offering some respite from the often intense summer heat as does the wooded Alcazar Park.
Further afield from Larissa, Ambelakia is worth a visit. A historic location, Ambelakia prospered during the 18th century as a world-famous cooperative that produced a glossy red thread much sought after in Europe. Its past glories are still evident today in the luxurious Mansion of George Schwartz with its murals and Viennese stained glass
