Antichasia

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The Antichasia (Greek Αντιχάσια; alternative transcriptions: Andichasia and Antichassia ) are a group of mountains in the Greek regions of West Macedonia and Thessaly with a maximum height of 1,416 m (mountain oxya ). They are assigned to the eastern foothills of the Pindus Mountains.

Geography

The Antichasia Mountains limit the western Thessalian plain, which is formed by the valley of the river and its tributary Pinios Litheos from Kalambaka to Trikala, to the north: this shall the western Thessalian plain to the southern and south-western boundary of the Antichasia Mountains. The river Litheos, which rises in the mountains Antichasia itself, separates the southern part of the Antichasia mountains against Western Thessalian plain. After the mouth of the Litheos in the Pinios east of Trikala of Pinios now forms the southern boundary of the Antichasia Mountains. These extend east to the valley of Farkadona as the south-eastern tip of Antichasia Mountains. To the east of this valley lie the Zarkou Mountains ( Ori Zarkou ). The valley of Farkadona limits the Antichasia east to its end at the village Diaselo. In Diaselo a pass between the Antichasia the west and the Ori Zarkou in the east into the valley of the upper reaches of the river to the village Titarisios Vlachogianni. The headwaters of the Titarisios together with its valley limits the Antichasia to the east and north-east to the confluence of the stream, which flows from the west coming from the village Kranea Elassonas in the Titarsios. This water forms in its course a valley to its source near the village of Deskati. This valley is flanked to the north by the Kamvounia Mountains, in the south of the Antichasia. West of Deskati take over the small tributaries of the Aliakmona and the plane formed by them before the breakthrough of Alikamonas between Kamvounia Mountains and Vourinos massif to the east of the demarcation Antichasia Mountains in northwestern direction. The Antichasia - mountains sit down on a pass to the northwest in the Chasia Mountains in the Regional District Grevena continued. The other limitation of Antichasia Mountains to the west and southwest is formed by the river ion ( Mourganis ), which flows near the village of Mourgani in the Pinios.

The Antichasia Mountains have an east-west diameter of 40 to 50 km and a north-south diameter from 30 to 38 km. The highest point, the Oxia with 1,416 m height is located on the eastern boundary of the massif through the valley of the upper reaches of the Titarisios. The peaks in the southeastern foothills of the Antichasia northwest of Farkadona reach a maximum 831 m height.

Several rivers have their source in the Antichasia Mountains. They drain without exception in the Pinios. The largest river of Antichasia is the ion ( Mourganis ) in the west of the massif. The Litheos springs south than the ion and shares the Antichasia into a western and a southern branch. The latter is bounded to the east by the Neochoritis whose source is located a few kilometers east of the Litheos. The Titarisios in the east, is fed by numerous small tributaries which spring from the eastern flank of the Antichasia.

The Antichasia mountains and the Meteora rocks are counted in the northern and eastern area of Kalambaka, although they are regarded as a single group of mountains due to their morphological peculiarity.

History

In addition to the particular cultural and historical prominence given the Meteora monasteries were adjacent to the Antichasia Mountains areas, especially the plain of Thessaly, already inhabited in ancient times. Examples of such settlements are the city Farkadon at the outlet of Neochoritis from the mountains and the city Pellineon west of Farkadon and east of the present town of Taxiarhes. The ancient city Ereikinio ( Erikinio ) is located on the eastern foothills of the Antichasia in the valley of the upper reaches of the Titarisios, the ancient city Malloia ( Mallia ) further north in the same valley at the northeastern tip of the Antichasia.

Population

The Antichasia Mountains lie at the interface of three regional districts: Larisa in the east and north, Trikala in the south and west, Grevena in the north. Larger towns, the town of Kalambaka excluded are:

• Verdikoussa in the Regional District of Larisa, which is only a short distance east-northeast of the main summit Oxia,
• Ichalia in the valley of Neochoritis in the southeast,
• Koniskos south of the source of the ion, north of the source of Litheos and northwest of the source of Neochoritis.

In particular, on the border of Antichasia Mountains to the western Thessalian plain to see cities like Kalambaka and especially Trikala and larger towns like Rizoma, Vasiliki, Paleopirgos, Megalochori, Taxi Arches and at the southeastern tip Farkadona. The villages Deskati find at the foot of Kamvounia mountains on the northern perimeter and Kranea Elassonas.

Traffic

The Antichasia mountains are surrounded on all sides by Greek national roads. To the west runs north west from Metsovo and Panagia coming National Road 6 ( European Route 92 ) along the Pinios Valley over Kalambaka to Trikala in the southeast. From Trikala National Road 6 the course of Pinios runs eastward across Megalochori and Farkadona to Larisa north. In the north- west and north along the national road 26 runs over Deskati and Kranea Elassonas exactly along the northern and northwestern boundary of the Antichasia Mountains. In the east, distance runs in few kilometers, the National Road 3 (Europe Straße 65 ) Elassona after Vlachogianni. From there, it swings to the east, however, to achieve Tyrnavos. As of October 2007, the start of construction work on the highway 3 ( Odos Kendrikis Elladas ), which will run along the route of the National Road 6 of Panagia on the highway 2 ( Egnatia Odos ) On Kalambaka to Trikala (and further to Lamia ).