Edessa Waterfalls

About this place

The Edessa Waterfalls are a group of falls in the heart of Edessa, capital of the Pella regional unit in Central Macedonia, northern Greece, about 77 km west of Thessaloniki in a straight line. They are the town's main draw for visitors. The falls formed in the 14th century after a strong earthquake struck the area, and smaller quakes have changed their shape since. Their main source is the Agra-Nisi wetland, from which the Edessaios river flows and splits into the falls. There are twelve waterfalls in the area, four of them easy to see, and the waterfall park covers more than 100,000 square metres. The name Edessa means «tower in the water» in ancient Greek. The main fall, known as Karanos, drops about 70 metres from a green rock ledge into the valley, throwing up spray. At the top of the park, water channels run between trees, stone paths and small bridges, and from the edge the view stretches over the farm plain below. Visitors stroll the shaded paths and take the stairs down to the foot of the big fall, where a small cave lies behind the water. A water museum sits in an old hemp factory in the park, and spring is when the flow is strongest.