There wasn’t a huge amount to see in Ancient Edessa but it
was fun to wander around and look over to the cliffs on top of which the acropolis
of ancient city was located. Modern Edessa is also on top of those cliffs and
we drove the van to a free car park in the centre of the city. The car park is
in the waterfall park, next to the tourist information office. There are no
campsites in the area and we visited the office and asked about staying in the
van in the car park overnight. They were very happy about us staying and even
told us where we could get fresh water if we needed it. We also purchased Edessa
Cards, which have to be the best value ever at €5 and provides free access to
at least five museums and a 50% reduction for the caves.
This has to be one of the most unusual places that we have camped. In the
centre of a city but just a ten metres in front of the van is the edge of a
cliff and a river thunders over the edge creating a spectacular waterfall. And
then there is the huge view over the extensive plain – beautiful. This is one
of 11 waterfalls created as the Edessalos River splits, flowing through the
city and over the cliff. Two of the waterfalls are spectacular whereas the
others are often hidden behind vegetation.
In the past, many watermills used the power of the river for many different
purposes and now a well-hidden hydro-electric power station exploits that
power.
Most of the waterfalls are long gone but a number have been preserved and
turned into small museums. With our Edessa Card we visited three mills – a reptile
house, a sesame mill where they once made sesame flour and one dedicated to the
history of water power in Edessa.
At this time of year, there is a huge volume of water flowing over the cliff
(see photos) but this also meant that the lower paths in the park were very
wet. We restricted ourselves to the upper part and found the cave that we had a
50% discount for, bringing the entrance fee down from €1 to 50 cents! It was
only a small cave but it was interesting. Most waterfalls erode the rock that
they fall over but this waterfall adds to the rock, with the waterfall moving
further out over time. The water of the river is full of salts and these are
deposited, forming stalactites and stalagmites. The cave was very shallow, just
a small area over which the waterfall used to run but it was clear to see how
the rock had been deposited.
We walked through the waterfall park and through the old town with its
traditional architecture, to the old cathedral and another museum, The House of
Varosi. This is one of those traditional houses that has been recently restored
and it is perched on the edge of the cliff with magnificent views. The guardian
was very helpful and chatty – we were the only visitors, so she had plenty of
time. She told us about the house and there was an excellent film in English,
shown on a large screen, that told us more about Edessa. The lady answered all
of our questions and asked us where we were staying. We said that we had a motorhome
and she asked us if we were the ones that stayed at the archaeological site
last night – she had spotted us way down on the plain below the house!
Unfortunately, the Folk Museum, next door to the Varosi House, was closed so we
headed back to the van via another route through a more modern part of the
city.
We decided to eat out at one of the tavernas that we passed on our walk back,
well away from the tourist area. As we were about to leave the van, some very
loud traditional music started and Jane went to investigate, returning with the
news that there was a group of children dancing in the park. It was part of the
Edessa Spring Festival that is running this week. We went over to it and
watched a number of children’s dance groups performing. Given the number of
groups, my guess is that they came from surrounding villages as well as Edessa
itself. It was fun seeing the dances and the traditional costumes, although the
slow circle dances became a little monotonous after a while. Just occasionally
there was a slightly faster dance that was more interesting. We walked on to
the Platanos Ouzeri that was really a restaurant rather than an ouzeri and was
very busy when we passed it earlier. It was quiet when we arrived but after or
excellent meal people were beginning to drift in. The restaurant is next to one
of the many streams that run through the city and it was a lovely walk back to
the van through the streets with the scent of jasmine in the air and the sound
of running water.
The car park was next to a large restaurant and, being Saturday night, they
were playing fairly loud music but it was very pleasant music and we soon
drifted off to sleep.
Edessa is a real gem and we are so glad that we visited. We would happily
return but the lack of campsites makes it more difficult for a longer stay.
Photos: A gravestone from Ancient Edessa found in the 3rd century AD
town wall hurriedly built when the barbarian raids threatened the town – the story
carved into the stone tells of a pig that was travelling with his master along
the roman road, the Via Egnatia, when it was run over and killed; Jane walking through
one of the gates of Ancient Edessa on the Via Egnatia; The waterfall that was
within a few metres of our pitch; The waterfall in action - Ancient Edessa is on the plain below; The sesame flour
mill; The Varosi house.
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