Edessa sits on the lip of an escarpment in Macedonia, and the rivers that run through the town go over the edge of it. The result is the only Greek town whose defining feature is a set of waterfalls in the middle of it.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The falls
The main fall, Karanos, drops around 70 metres into a wooded park at the base of the cliff, and a path leads behind the curtain of water into a cave in the rock face. Smaller falls come over the edge either side.
The whole thing is laid out as a park with paths, bridges and viewing platforms, and it is genuinely well done: fifteen minutes from the town centre and free to walk.
Water is the town’s theme throughout. Channels run along streets, there are watermills, and an open-air water museum in the old industrial quarter uses the restored mills and a hemp factory to explain what all this water was for.
Varosi
The old quarter, Varosi, sits on the cliff edge and survived the twentieth century: Macedonian houses with overhanging upper storeys, a folklore museum, and a view straight out over the plain towards Thessaloniki.
It is small, quiet and worth the walk.
Around it
- Pella, the capital of ancient Macedon and the birthplace of Alexander, is about 40 minutes south-east, with outstanding pebble mosaics.
- Vergina and the royal tombs are about an hour south.
- Lake Vegoritida and the ski centre at Kaimaktsalan are north and west.
- Loutra Pozar, a thermal spa in a gorge, is about half an hour away and popular in winter.
Getting there and how long
About an hour and a quarter from Thessaloniki by road, and reachable by train, which is unusual and pleasant in Greece.
One night, or a day trip from Thessaloniki. Two if you are combining it with Pella and Vergina.
Last checked August 2026. Park and museum hours change - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
What is Edessa known for?
Its waterfalls, which drop off the escarpment at the edge of the town into a park, with a path leading behind the largest of them into a cave.
Can you walk behind the waterfall at Edessa?
Yes. A path leads behind the curtain of the main fall into a cave in the rock face.
What is Varosi?
The surviving old quarter of Edessa on the cliff edge, with traditional Macedonian houses, a folklore museum and a view over the plain.
How far is Edessa from Thessaloniki?
About an hour and a quarter by road, and it is also reachable by train.
What else is near Edessa?
Pella, the ancient Macedonian capital, about 40 minutes away; Vergina about an hour; and the thermal springs at Loutra Pozar half an hour off.
Next
Read Vergina, Thessaloniki, or Dion.