A Whistle Stop Tour of Edessa

Can you pack it all in on one day in Edessa? Well, even though I’m here for 5 (possibly 6) nights, I decided to throw everything at it, allowing me to pace myself for the rest of the stay. After a good night’s sleep in yet another fabulously comfortable bed, I was up early, ready to take on this challenge.

The attractions I plan to visit don’t open until 10 am so I started by walking to the Kiupri Stone Bridge, the only remaining stone bridge in Edessa. The word Kiupri is Turkish meaning ‘bridge’. There is a school of thought that claims the bridge is Byzantine and that it forms part of the old Egnatia Road. I’ll leave that one to be pondered.

Its 28-metre length spans the Edessaios River and at a mere 3 metres above the water, I managed to cross it without passing out. Gold star to me! Next to the bridge is the 383-year-old and now protected plane tree of Kiupri. During Ottoman times, Christians used this part of the river to sanctify the waters and celebrate Epiphany. This was very risky considering that the area was used as an Ottoman cemetery.

Just before the Edessaios River reaches the Kiupri Stone Bridge it splits in two. The water running under the bridge is very calm – almost motionless. Walk a couple of metres to the left and you will see a completely different picture. The river pushes through with such force that you can almost feel its power underfoot. This is just a flavour of what’s to come.

I followed the river down through Kiupri Park, still in awe at the ferocity of the water and TBH, a little bit nervous too. My mind got a bit carried away with thoughts of how anyone would survive a fall into this river. For one, this is snow and ice melt. I would imagine the freezing temperature would send someone into cardiac arrest almost upon impact. The thought that gave me the most anxiety was the thought of someone plummeting over the edge of the waterfall to the bottom of the cliff. These are the kinds of thoughts that occupy my mind sometimes. I daresay it’s the human instinct to prevent us from taking unnecessary risks.

On the approach to the waterfalls, the river splits in two by yet another ancient plane tree. At 435 years old this plane tree has witnessed the many changes that have happened here including the establishment of the water mills in the 19th century, to the creation of the waterfalls as a leisure park under the Germans during WW2.

Sitting at the top of the waterfalls is a large cafe restaurant called Katerractes. To the left of this is the Tourist Information Office. I had called in the day before to pick up some information and the lady had recommended that I purchase the Edessa Card. For 5€ the card would give me free access to a wide selection of attractions The ticket is valid for 24 hours and the attractions are open between 10am and 4pm. I left armed with the ticket, various leaflets and directions on where to start.

It wasn’t quite 10am so I began by exploring the waterfalls. I started cautiously. You can’t underestimate the force of the water pushing its way through just feet away from me. In addition to that, my vertigo is well too aware that I am on the edge of a cliff.

There is something very unique about these waterfalls. Not only is the Karanos (named after the King of Macedonia) waterfall the longest in the Balkans at 700 metres in height, but the cave of the waterfall has been formed by it. The cave behind the waterfall is known as a travertine cave. It was created by the minerals from the waterfall which gradually built layers onto the cliff face instead of eroding it – a rare phenomenon.

There are viewing points of the two main waterfalls on different levels accessed by many sets of steps. I gradually walked down until I was at the entrance to the cave and the path behind the waterfall. It was magnificent!

Back up at the top of the waterfalls I called in at the first on the list of attractions using the Edessa Card. A cluster of old mills once powered by the power of the river, have now been re-purposed to house different attractions. The first is the aquarium and reptile house located in the Giannaki water mill which was donated by the family of the same name.

This is an interesting place for families. The collection of reptiles is primarily snakes, a few varieties of turtles and lizards/iguanas. I was most interested in the structure of the mill itself and what remains of the original machinery.

Next was the old Pertsemli Sesame Mill – the Mill of Flavours which was very interesting especially as the exhibit has stayed true to its origins. The lady started by telling me that the mill was very unique because it was the only double-powered mill and also the only sesame mill in Greece to be powered by water. The personal guided tour talked me through the processing of sesame seed from washing and drying to preparing it to be ground as flour or pressed for the oil. There was also a presentation on the Mediterranean diet and a demonstration of the machinery in operation. Before I left I was given a shot of cherry liqueur and a sesame seed biscuit. This mill is most definitely worth a visit.

The next mill just a short hop away was the Mill of Water and Five Senses. On the first floor, the old Arditsoglou Mill talks you through the five senses of water through a series of information boards and touch screens. On the lower floor is an exhibition of rocks and minerals. Again the architecture and mechanical workings of the mill have been kept intact and provide a unique experience to see the ingenuity of how the force of the river was harnessed for industry.

Now onto something a bit different. You can imagine my excitement when just a stone’s throw from my accommodation I stumbled across the old district of Varosi with some incredible examples of Balkan architecture. Varosi was the old fortified town that dominated the rock of Edessa. It was built on the former citadel of Edessa and was the area where the Christians lived during Ottoman times. During the late 19th and early 20th century, it was also the centre of the Macedonian Struggle. In 1944 the Nazis burned the southern part of Varosi but the remaining northern part is now a protected area. You can imagine how much time I will spend here during my stay as it’s my favourite type of architecture!

Located in one of the old houses is the House of Varosi, just one of the restored houses in the area open to visitors. The Valasa Mansion built in 1841 looks architecturally modern inside. The lady explained to me that very little of the original interior of the house remains but it was renovated to house a digital story of the history of Varosi. The back of the house used to be open and the place where the family’s stable, kitchen and store room were located. Now the building is enclosed by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows offering a bright and modern space. She told me that most of the mansions have been refurbished to a modern standard and some are owned privately. Apparently the house next door is owned by a doctor from Athens.

Down on the ground floor, she pointed out where the river used to run through the house giving the former residents the facility of running water. This is quite incredible and another example of how the water from the river was utilised in everyday life. You can see where the stream has been paved over. I watched the digital presentation which walked me through the history of Varosi. At this point, it was good to rest my feet!

A short walk away was the Edessa Folklore Museum. This small museum has a small collection of artefacts representing the everyday life of the community. In the entrance is an example of a wedding dress made in simple yet exquisite detail. There is a handloom and the machinery used for spinning wool. A collection of agricultural tools demonstrated how livestock were kept and used for food and clothing. In an adjacent room, a small display showed a little bit about the silk industry that once existed in Edessa. The town used to be the second-largest silk-producing town after Soufli. Mulberry trees were cultivated locally as was silk processing and weaving. I thought I should have known this after visiting several silk museums in Soufli but maybe I’d forgotten. Post-war times were hard for the people of Edessa and many of the population left to find a better life in different parts of the world and the silk industry died.

By now I’ve just about exhausted the Edessa Card but there are still several interesting places on my list to visit today. The next is the Old Metropolitan Cathedral of Edessa. The Byzantine church was originally built in the 14th century and was dedicated to Christ the Word, the Wisdom of God. It is a three-aisled basilica with an elevated nave. The guardian told me that the pillars pre-date the church and were likely to have been taken from an old temple. The brightly coloured frescoes and gold leaf on the wooden carvings have survived with a little help from careful restoration. Most interesting is the intricate marble carvings on top of the pillars which are quite unique.

Heading out of Varosi and into the town, I am now heading to the Yessios Museum. This had been recommended by the guardian at the Old Cathedral. It is a bright and modern museum with friendly and welcoming staff. The Museum was donated by son of Edessa, Christos Iioannis Yessios. The house was built in 1935 by Christos’s father Ioannis and his father’s two brothers Konstantinos and Michalis for the purpose of manufacturing space heaters. It then operated as the Yessios Brothers Hardware and Houseware store until it was looted and closed by German occupiers in 1942.

Through a series of well-laid-out information boards and images, the museum presents a timeline from 1821 to the Asia Minor Disaster of 1922. It outlines the events that eventually led to the Macedonian Agonas (struggle). The second section focuses on the period of the armed Agonas from 1904 until 1908. The armed Agonas were partisan soldiers who fought their battles in terrible conditions in the swamps surrounding Edessa.

It’s fair to say that like the rest of Greek history around this period, it’s a complicated story. It’s one that I’m very interested in but I still struggle to get my head around it. It was a fascinating visit nonetheless.

Whilst in town there are a couple of landmarks I wanted to see. The first is the Yeni Tzami Mosque. At the moment it lays rather neglected – possibly in the throws of renovation but it is currently closed.

It is the only remaining Ottoman mosque in Edessa. It is believed to be dated to the 17th century but there were several additions to the building over the following centuries. According to the information board outside, the interior of the mosque is richly decorated with paintings from the 19th century. I hope it is one day fully refurbished and opened.

My next destination on this whistle-stop tour of Edessa is to the statue of Alexander the Great. Pella of which Edessa is the capital was the homeland of Alexander the Great so it’s fitting that a tribute is made to him here in the town.

For my penultimate visit, I swing by the Clock Tower of Edessa. It was constructed in 1900 by Konstantinos Zisis and his brothers. Standing as a prominent historical landmark in the heart of the town, it features six clocks atop a tower reminiscent of medieval architecture. The tower is adjacent to the building housing the Cultural Association of Alexander the Great.

My final stop of the day is to Ancient Edessa lies on its rich fertile plains below the Acropolis of Edessa. It’s a fair distance on foot and I didn’t fancy the climb back up so I found a taxi rank and asked a driver if he could take me and bring me back. The cost was 10€ which was a very fair price.

Archaeological excavations have identified that the site had been occupied since prehistoric times. From a small rural settlement, it developed into a fortified city built on two levels – up above on the Acropolis under modern-day Edessa and here at the foot of the rock in the Longos Valley. Finds from the excavations show that the city was occupied during Hellenistic, Roman and early Christian times. Conscious, that the taxi driver was waiting for me I had a quick walk around the site before returning back to town.

That was almost it for this compressed tour of Edessa. There were a few other sites of interest that I saw but I’m sure I’ll weave them into some of the following posts. I made my way back towards the waterfalls and the Katarraktes Restaurant which sits above them. I’ve built up a fair old appetite after that exertion.

I ordered a salad of spinach and lettuce leaves with Florina peppers, apples, dried cranberries, walnuts and Feta. This was followed by pork fillets with dates and chestnuts in a balsamic sauce and honey accompanied by a celery root puree. This was washed down with local red wine (which I couldn’t finish) and a complimentary ice cream with cherry spoon sweets. I’ve earned this!

You can visit the beautiful city of Edessa from Thessaloniki – check out the excursion with Get Your Guide below.