Messenikolas is one of the most picturesque and historical villages of the Karditsa District (nomos) near artificial Plastiras Lake. At an altitude of 2.300 feet above sea level, at the foot of the Pindos Massive, the village is surrounded by lush vegetation of sundry species of plants, bushes and trees, the latter mainly being acorn and chestnut trees. It can truly be described as the balcony of Thessaly (the central part of Greece), literally perched like an eagle’s nest at the side of the precipitous mountain slope, offering the observer a captivating vista as far as Olympus and Pelion, the mountains across the vast Thessalian plain.

The main occupation of the villagers is viticulture and the production of one of the best  vintages wines as well as the local tsipouro (a sort of distilled schnapps or eau de vie). In the vineyards of the village, the people produce the local vintage, which along with the varieties Syrah and Carignan secures the trademark and origin of the choice wine, the so called Messenikolas Black. The village is accessible through the road network that surrounds Plastiras Lake. In the late 1950’s the village sacrificed a lot of arable land of the original Nevropolis plateau, which was transformed into a lake by damming the River Tavropos that had flowed through it. The entire shoreline is protected from any form of building in order to provide the visitor with unforgettable peace and quiet. This is the ideal place for hiking, mountain biking, angling and shooting as well as immediate contact with the astonishingly variegated fauna and flora of the region.

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