Trikala
In the excursion are included: Bus transport, accommodation, guided tour at the Tsitsanis Museum, the Museum of Natural History and Mushrooms, the Museum of Hydrokinesis, participation in the truffle hunt in nature and mushroom cooking, guided tour at Dimou estate and tasting of their products, guided tour at Tsilili winery-distillery and wine tasting, 2 meals, team building activities in nature, 2 experienced guides from our agency, liability insurance policy, organization and coordination by San Dopios, VAT 24%.
We depart from Thessaloniki and when we arrive at Trikala, we make a visit to Kursum Mosque, which stands out at the southeastern gate of the city with its magnificent, made of lead dome. Then, we visit the old city hammams, which are at the ground floor of the Tsitsanis museum. We then go up to the first floor of the building and we are transferred to the era when Tsitsanis made his great songs. We learn about his work and collaborations and carry out an experiential activity in the museum, which will travel us mentally to memories and images by listening to songs by the famous composer. Midday arrives and we head for lunch at the city’s trademark, the traditional restaurant “Hani” (The Inn). Afterwards, we head to our hotel in the center of Trikala to get some rest. In the afternoon, our way leads to the old city of Trikala, the traditional Varousi neighborhood, where we can admire the majestic architecture in houses, we take a walk at the Fort and we admire the view from the top of the “Roloi”, the town’s clock. Then, we descend to the center of Trikala, where we admire the bridges of Lithaios River, where whoever wants to may have a boat ride in the small plastic boats in the river or enjoy their coffee in the nearby cafeterias. In the afternoon, we visit the busy neighborhood “Manavika” and we enjoy a Greek night in one of its many taverns.
The next day, upon a hearty breakfast, we head to Kalampaka to visit the Museum of Natural History and Mushrooms. We have a guided tour in the Museum, which includes a rich collection of birds and mammals, as well as a complete mushroom museum, the first of its kind in Greece. Then, at a small distance from the Museum, with the presence of expert guides and truffle sniffing dogs, we shall seek, photograph, collect, cook and then taste the truffle, by making exquisite truffle pasta with the help of chefs in a really special and impressive cookware. We learn about truffle species and uses, in order to get a complete picture of this diamond that is hidden in the ground. In the meantime and up until the truffle pasta is ready, we shall taste 4-5 kinds of mushrooms which are accompanied by a glass of local wine. Experiential games in nature will follow. Then, we head to the village of Avra in Kalampaka in order to visit the Dimou estate. In a landscape full of green, ideal for free grazing, Dimitris Dimos from the 80s, had created his own ark of rare indigenous farm animals, buying the first Steppe cows of the Katerini type and native Greek black pigs. There we can enjoy a guided tour at the estate and we can get some products that they themselves produce, for a special tasting that shall follow at the next stop of our route. A few kilometers away, the Tsilili family shall wait for us to guide us through their winery and to initiate us in the secrets of tsipouro distillation. There we shall taste the wines and tsipouro drink they produce by accompanying them with fine products from the Dimou estate. Then we shall go to rest and settle down to our hotel at Kastraki, Meteora. In the afternoon we shall go round Meteora and enjoy a wonderful meal at a restaurant, where we can gaze upon the huge rocks of Meteora.
On the third day of our trip, we visit Meteora, where the huge rocks dominate the area, a fantastic wonder of nature and living monuments of Christianity stands in front of us. We will visit the Holy Monastery of Agios Stefanos, the most easily accessible monastery, where the skull of Agios Charalambos is kept. At the Meteora observatory we can admire the wonderful view of the camp of Thessaly. Then, at noon we head to Elati, where we can "get lost" in the picturesque alleys of the village and have lunch there. We depart from the beautiful village of Elati for the single-arched stone bridge of Paleokarya with the magnificent waterfall. A landscape that we shall photograph from every angle, as it is unique. We then have a stop to rest at a special cafeteria that is also a water museum. In a landscape of incomparable beauty, next to the traditional watermill and waterfalls, we will enjoy our coffee, under the sound of water passing through the water mill, the traditional "washing machine" of the village for their carpets. We can be guided by the owner and creator of this small coffee shop-museum and we can learn about how water was used in the old days. This place is ideal for our team building activities. In the afternoon, full of beautiful images and experiences, we shall take the road back home to our city.