Karditsa

• A wide bicycle network and nearly 20.000 bikes, make cycling identical for the city.
• Located centrally in the Greek mainland combines history, tradition, and nature.
• Relatively new city founded in the 15th century.

Almost in the center of the Thessaly region and next to the Pinios river is located the Greek city of Karditsa. It is the capital of the prefecture and a flat city which is famous for the wide use of bicycles by its residents. Karditsa was actually the first Greek city where a network of cycle paths was constructed. Nowadays Karditsa is a green and calm city with a pedestrianized center and offers its visitors all the options of a modern urban center. For a more unique ride in the city, can be made by bike since someone can rent one of the bikes of the municipality and explore Karditsa on two wheels.

The foundation of the city dates back to the 15th century during the Ottoman period. The city's name derives either from the word "karyditsa", or from the Slavic word "gradtitsa", which means town. Its geographical location helped the city to become a major shopping center, which resulted in a population increase. In 1821 the city suffered from the terrible plague that decimated the population, but very soon was resettled. In 1881, Karditsa was liberated from the Ottoman occupation and united with Greece. During the Second World War, it was the first city in Europe that was liberated from the German nazi occupation (12-3-1943) with the assistance of the local resistance militia. In December of 1948, one of the deadliest battles of the Greek Civil War took place in Karditsa, with 50 civilian casualties, while there were 19 dead and 85 wounded by the National Army.